Reiki for a Positive Mindset

Article by Eve Sengkeo

As human beings, it’s natural to be in search of happiness. It’s often said, lasting happiness comes from within. So where does one begin to master the art of happiness? As Mahatma Gandhi said:

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, be becomes.”

Managing thought patterns is not easy. See our brain is wired to help us survive in this world. Thus, the brain tends to look for what’s wrong, for whatever can hurt us, and what we must to do survive the worst case scenario.

As a result, the mind naturally operates in survival mode by searching for threats. I don’t know about you but that usually in the form of a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety for me! In fact, this survival mentality leads to the opposite effect of being in search of happiness.

Life is just too short and our time is just too precious to constantly operate in survival mode. There isn’t a bear running after us every day yet our stress levels hit that peak point when someone cuts us off on the road or when we are sitting in traffic. So how does one begin to manage the thoughts away from survival mentality?

The next time you sense you’re unnecessarily operating with a survival mentality, take a step back. When you’re stuck in traffic and running late to an appointment, it’s hard to shift your focus to sunny beaches, butterflies, and smiling teddy bears. That’s why it’s important to take baby steps to ease out of the negative thought patterns. If you do reach the point of sunny beaches, butterflies and just pure joy, great. If not, it’s ok too! So long as you don’t continue down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts.

Recognize that the sympathetic nervous system is activated which is often referred to as the fight or flight response. Take three slow breaths to ease your way out of the fight or flight mode.

Building on the breath work, when you inhale, you can either say or intone the Reiki symbols. The Reiki symbols are reminders that there are ways to focus on different aspects of the Reiki energy. Thus, it may be helpful to visualize the symbols as energy.

Next, set the intention. For instance, say you are focusing on the Cho Ku Rei symbol which means “placing all the power of the universe here.” It is the power symbol and helps release resistance. You may then wish to set the intention to detach from any particular outcome.

Continue this breath work for a minute to allow yourself to recenter. By shifting your focus from the “perceived threat”, you are shifting your energy. After all, energy flows where the mind goes!

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Eve Sengkeo loves helping others achieve mind, body and spiritual wellness. As a Reiki Master, she inspires people through writing about her setbacks, comebacks, and all the lessons learned in between.