Keeping Our Power In Times of Great Change: The Reiki Principles in Practice

In difficult times it is all too easy to let the pessimistic energy of others invade our personal energetic field. The trouble-filled voices of the broadcasters, the charts of ever-increasing numbers of infected people, and the running tape below the television screen that documents economic freefall: all contribute to the panic that rises in our chest.

Wait. Pause. Don’t let these sources determine how you feel or what you think. We are responsible for our energetic wellness and our reactions to the world. Resolve to keep your power. Anchor yourself in the present. Hold your hands in the Namaste (prayer) position against your heart. Be conscious of the divine within you and within others. Give yourself a Reiki treatment. Release the world situation and be present with your situation. Be present with what is true for you and your loved ones in this moment. Recognizing where we are in the present, allows us to act thoughtfully and effectively. The Reiki principles can serve as our guide.

Just for today, I will not worry.

Ask yourself, “Is my situation really that bad?” Let your response be proportional to your circumstances. Is standing in line an hour to pay for your groceries really that terrible? It’s different, yes. But it’s not terrible. Say a word of appreciation for all the times you’ve run into the store and back out in minutes with exactly what you wanted. We take this privilege for granted. Perhaps the line we are in now is there to remind us of how fortunate we are.

Each of our situations is unique; some of us face easier conditions than our neighbors. The opposite is also true. Replace catastrophizing — “What if this happens? What if that happens?”— with current facts. The food in your cupboards may not be what you’d prefer to eat, but it is food. You might run out of toilet paper, but you do have tissues. Store supplies will be restocked. Rational thoughts support our emotional well-being. We may be inconvenienced, but we will not starve.

Just for today, I will do my work honestly.

But how can we deal with the pervasive anxiety of what may happen to our family, our neighbors, and our community? Stop your mind from spinning into worst case scenarios; be proactive in the present. Operate from a place of abundance, not scarcity. Research community resources and donate as you can— food, money, supplies, time. You may not need them, but someone you know might.

Keep your energy clear. Don’t let the fear promoted by the media linger in your home. Clear your home using the Reiki power symbol. Use Reiki to energetically clear buildings, stores, and hospitals. Send Reiki to situations that impact you and those you love. Send Reiki to the virus, asking that it be healed and the situation that allowed it to explode into the world be healed. Participate in on-line groups working together to send Reiki across the world.

Just for today, I will not anger.

Observe without judging. Act, without accusing. We don’t know the stresses or circumstances of others. Perhaps the woman with ten gallons of milk in her shopping cart is buying groceries for a daycare or shut-in neighbors. Perhaps the man cutting in line is rushing home to a sick child. We don’t know. We don’t need to know. Will the extra ten minutes waiting really make a difference in our life? If our energetic presence is positive and accepting, we will have a calming effect on others.

Each of us is doing our best. That’s all we have. The plumber who leaves your job unfinished and is not returning calls may have a life or death situation in his family. The young people partying on the beach may soon learn a difficult life lesson that will impact the rest of their lives — their choices resulted in illness, impairment, even death, for someone they know or perhaps never met.

Just for today, I will be kind.

Find the balance between “the world is ending” and being a Pollyanna. Be aware of the full picture. “Yes, it’s true there are X number of people who tested positive and it’s growing every day, but those numbers also include everyone who was sick and recovered.” Guide the conversation into the present. “Is there anything you need right now?” Perhaps you can fill that need. The need may be as simple as picking something up at the store for them or as challenging as them potentially losing their housing. Listen well. We can’t solve everything for others, but we can hear them. We can acknowledge their fear. We can be informed advocates for programs that address their needs.

Just for today, I will give thanks.

Find the gift in the present situation. We may suddenly have uncommitted time! Finally, we can sort through all those boxes set aside for later. There is an opportunity to read more, sleep more, walk more. These are extraordinary times. Our grandchildren or great grandchildren may someday ask what it was like to live through a pandemic. Our thoughts jotted daily in a journal could provide unique insight into what it meant to face shortages, to live without restaurants and public entertainment, to be unable to be with our loved ones in the hospital.

Anchor in what is permanent: the stars, the sun, the moon, the ocean. Celebrate life in all its forms — plants, trees, animals, birds. Even in the worst of times, we have much to be thankful for.

We can use Reiki and the Reiki Principles to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others, even in the world. We may feel like our actions are a drop of water on a stone, but the ocean moves stones; the rain carves ravines. What we do is enough.

Article by Wanda Buckner, Ed.D.

Free eBook download: We’ve created an eBook with our best articles on this topic, and offer it for free to all our newsletter subscribers.

Wanda Buckner, EdD, is a people and pet psychic and healer. She supports people and animals in repairing their past, healing their present, and embracing their future. Wanda is a gifted psychic, medium, healer, hypnotherapist, and interspecies communicator/instructor. She is a Holy Fire Reiki Master/Instructor and certified in Healing Touch for both people and animals. Her business, Healing Energy Services for People and Animals, opened in 2005. Wanda holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. Her book, Choosing Energy Therapy: A Practical Guide to Options for People and Animals, provides information on energy healing for people and animals. Wanda is a contracted provider for Reiki, Healing Touch and Hypnotherapy with Assured Hospice and volunteers weekly with a holistic veterinarian providing energy work for animals. She teaches, speaks, and practices in Olympia WA and at a distance, anywhere.
Wanda can be reached through her website, www.healingenergyservices.com