Article by Angie Webster
I have had more than my share of sickness in this life. I struggled to get through school, with one illness after another knocking me off my feet. After I graduated, I had problems with my entire digestive tract, from an ulcer to Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Crohn’s. After the birth of my second child, it was discovered that I had very early stage cervical cancer. And around that time I began having seizures ranging in intensity from blaking out to full grand mal, often several times a day. The memory loss and severe headaches that came with them were disabling. Due to the seizures, my thoughts and behavior became erratic.
While my health is far better now than it has been since early childhood, I do still get sick. And I have to admit it is frustrating, even though the problems I face now are minor compared to the things I have faced in the past. I find myself thinking, ‘I am a healer! Why am I getting sick and why can’t I heal myself?!’
When I don’t feel well, like everyone else, I want to feel better—quickly! But I have to keep reminding myself that healing isn’t just about what I can see and feel on the physical level. It is about all the levels of being—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Adding the extra stress of feeling as if I have done something wrong or that I can’t heal myself correctly increases the disharmony in my energetic field. I know that I will only get well when harmony is restored. So how do I find harmony when I feel so out of balance?
Image by THE Holy Hand Grenade!
When my health was bad, I learned to handle enormous amounts of pain. One of the ways I learned to deal with it was putting relaxed attention on the pain and seeing it as belonging to God. Like air or water, pain serves a purpose. Like air or water, pain flows in and it will flow out. I tried to focus on being grateful for my body’s ability to feel pain, instead of being lost in the pain itself. This was a constant meditative practice. It was mental training, not a state of success or failure. Through it, I learned to not cling to what was finished serving me. Being sick and in pain became a spiritual practice.
I also learned to ask for help, something I now do when I am sick. I ask a fellow Reiki practitioner for healing energy. I ask my husband to help with meals and take some of my daily tasks. But more importantly than seeking outside help, I help myself by not battling with myself or my body. I rest, give myself Reiki and find things that make me feel cared for. Hot baths, tea, sleep, comfort foods and a good book are all favorite things I do to pamper myself when I am stressed or sick. Healing sound or mantra is also very soothing and it promotes healing.
These days, my goal is not to set out on a personal battle to defeat my body and the illness in it. My goal is to support my body and my entire energetic system. By doing this, I allow my body to heal itself, retuning to its natural state of wellness and ease. I keep bringing myself gently back to a state of calm and restful being. I follow what my body tells me it needs and I listen to my intuition. Most of all, I accept that healing is an ongoing process. And sometimes a little disharmony is a lesson in resting with discomfort.
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.
Great article. I often wonder the same thing. How can I help myself when I don’t feel well. I recently experienced what I thought was a gallbladder attack. The morning after the attack I wore one of my carnelian stones that had been charged with the full moon, and within 25 minutes of placing it around my neck my symptoms were alleviated. It wasn’t until later in the day when they began to resurface, that I noticed the stone around my neck had become heavy. That was an indication to me that the crystal had absorbed the energy and needed to be cleansed and recharged in order to continue to help. Amazing! Throughout the day I continued to give myself Reiki.
Thank you fro sharing that and for your kind words!
Thank you Angie for sharing your story. I agree that being sick, misaligned, out of harmony, is one of the big lessons and at the same time frustrating, knowing I am a healer. I can identify with digestive problems and only the last few years I have come to the conclusion that I have problems with digesting certain ideas. As all is energy I can see the manifestation of these thoughts, but that does not mean I am at that point to consciously do something about it, change my thoughts, my belief systems. The best times to attend to my own energy system is prior to going to sleep at night and early in the morning, say after 3am. Self healings are instrumental to a meditative state and receiving “feedback” on my situation. The technique, which has proven to be the most successful for me, is the use of extended Reiki fingers. This method enables me to focus on the underlying tissues. After a Byosen scan I am then able to move my consiousness to the particular area which has come to my attention. Drawing out toxins and replacing them with white energy is most of the time what is needed.
Thanks for sharing your story and insights! Peace and blessings on your healing journey.
Thank you for sharing your story. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and I have gotten frusterated because I feel like the healer that can’t heal herself. This was a reminder to me to keep doing what I’m doing. Also, that the pain flows through…
Dianna, Yes! Keep sending Reiki and following your path. Send healing to the frustration, too and remind yourself that emotional pain also flows through. Blessings.
Hi. I am attuned to Usui Reiki I + II.
I have been told by my Reiki Master Teacher that it is “not good for me” to be attuned to Reiki Master level as it will be too much for my body as I have Multiple Sclerosis – since 1999. This feels wrong to me and I do not accept it. Can I be attuned by another Usui Reiki Master, or must I re-do the complete course? Thank you for your time. Namastè.
Of course, I can’t say why your Reiki Master has said that or what her reasoning might be. It is certainly true that being a Reiki Master brings more inner challenge to the table than the other levels, and that can often be difficult. But, if you are willing to stay with the inner work, it can also be very healing for the right person. I highly recommend leaving plenty of time between level 2 and the Master level, to allow your system to adjust and to give yourself time to work with the energy in a deep way. In truth, unless you plan to work with the public professionally or teach, there may not be a huge need for you to move on to the Master level, unless you simply feel called to so you may consider that as well. As for if you can be trained by a different Master, you definitely can. And you don’t need to take all of the previous levels again. Simply find a Reiki Master who is agreeable to teaching you and who you feel resonates with you, when and if you decide you are ready to take the class. I actually took all three of my levels with a different teacher each time.