Reiki Flow

Reiki Self-Healing and the Flu

One thing illness draws my attention to is the intertwined nature of our physical, emotional and mental bodies. A heavy dose of the flu, where there is difficulty breathing and incessant coughing, brings me feelings of frustration and panic on top of the normal draining of vitality. Our feelings attract thoughts that vibrate at a similar frequency, so when we feel bad our thoughts can easily turn negative. This is not conducive to recovery.

Self-healing involves changing the frequency, feelings first. A chakra clear out is a good place to start. The flu symptoms can interfere with focus, but I find that once the root chakra is clear, and I feel well grounded, it gets easier to continue through the others. The solar plexus can feel more resistant than others, but that might just be me. Breathe light through each of them until you feel the peace of each one clearing, and your entire system feels lighter.

Clearing your chakras while you are ill is a bit like blowing your nose when you have the flu – your sinuses are going to refill and you will be reaching for tissue again and again. So you might find yourself wanting to clear you chakras several times over the course of the day. That’s OK, you’re not doing it “too much” You can tell it’s right when you feel the benefit. Remind yourself that health is what is normal for you. Illness passes.

Calling in Reiki is done a little more slowly and deliberately when I’m under the weather. My system feels sluggish, responding slowly, and I want to be sure I feel a good, strong presence of Reiki before I begin. I set an intention to restore health and also to remove the symptoms of the flu. I believe in the integrity of my body to heal itself, and removing the negative feedback of the symptoms gives it a chance to do just that. It is easier to reinforce thoughts of health and wellbeing when you rid yourself of the coughing and wheezing, and it will help you let go of the feelings you have around those symptoms.

For my own needs, the focus is on the throat and heart chakras – the heart for the respiratory system, the throat for the swollen glands, and the two combined for the coughing. Time may also be spent on the sinuses if that is also an issue. Reiki is going to go where it’s needed, so don’t stress over hand placement. Intention is more important.

As with the chakra clearing, you may want to repeat the Reiki self-healing more often than you might if you were well. For example, if you’re anything like me with a heavy dose you might drift off after a few minutes, lose your focus, and feel a want to restart the session. If you need to do this, it’s fine. You’re working under exceptional circumstances. Be kind to yourself.

Bright Blessings

The Daily Draw: Three of Cups, Reversed

Three of Cups, Reversed The three of cups is a card that shows a joyful, emotional connection between a group of people. This could be friends, colleagues, even clients. The important part is the emotional bond that has these people intertwined in each other’s lives in a deep, meaningful positive way.

The thing about reversed cards is that the energy of the card is still present, but there’s something getting in the way of that energy or circumventing it from its natural flow. For example, maybe you don’t feel as connected to your old friends as you once did, and maybe you feel let down by this. It happens. People change, or at least move on to different phases of their life, and that changes the dynamic of any group they belong to. They may even choose to no longer be part of that group.

Or you might be going through a change process yourself, where your thoughts, feelings or vibrations are shifting. You’re going through a transitional period where the relationships in your life just don’t feel the way they once did. It isn’t anyone’s fault, and there’s nothing specifically wrong. It’s just…different. It feels like time to move on.

The opportunity for that connection is still there, that wonderful feeling of close community or extended family, but you might have to look beyond your immediate circle for it. You might need to shift out of your comfort zone a bit, take a course in something you’ve long been interested in, join a club, take on volunteer work that resonates with you. Do something you really want to do. Chances are you’ll meet some like-minded people along the way and form new friendships with people you can enjoy new experiences with. People who will support who you are now, not who you used to be, or the person others might like you to remain.

The Daily Draw: Four of Pentacles

In the Four of Pentacles of the RWS deck, we see a person who appears holding on to four large coins for dear life, apparently afraid it will be spent or stolen. But look at where the coins are located – one under each foot, one covering the crown chakra and one covering the heart chakra. This person is completely disconnected emotionally and spiritually, while trying to maintain absolute control over what they possess.

Notice how the underlying meaning ties in neatly into the classic archetype of the miser in the surface interpretation. Either way, this is a person who is determined that no one else will share what is his, not realizing that he is hurting himself in the process. Unfortunately he may not be the only one being hurt if he’s applying that control to the people around him

There could be any number of reasons a person acts out in this way, but most of those reasons are going to have a going to have a common theme of pain and loss, perhaps experienced in the past and now an integrated as a fear that it will happen again if they don’t hold…on…tight..

“The only constant is change” might be a trite expression, but it is also true. When you block change like this person has, when you try to stop the flow of life, you don’t remain where you are. You start sliding backwards. Getting back into the flow can be a challenge if they’ve been out for a while, and there are bound to be some false starts. With help and support they might just be alright.

The Daily Draw: Four of Swords, Reversed

Swords4_Rx We have a heavy winter cold going through the house all down the line, from oldest to youngest. So Reiki and Calpol for the kids, and Reiki and a few sleepless nights for mammy and daddy – inevitably one or more of the children are woken by their symptoms in the hours when they would normally be sleeping. These things run their course and everything will be back to normal before long.

So for me, today, the Four of Swords in its reversed aspect is saying, “You need to rest and recuperate. That should be challenging.” When one has a crucial commitment to the care of others, such as a parent has, I think one has a natural tendency to put everyone else’s needs first. Of course they need your care, but you should also find space for self care.

If the kids want to watch a little more children’s television than usual, let them. Maybe you can sit down with them a little more than usual. If a friend or family member offers to help say “yes”. You don’t have to do it all yourself, even if it looks that way in your head. They might even let you sneak off to the bedroom for an hour or so. (Don’t spend it thinking you should be doing something else.) If they don’t think of offering, ask them. You’d do it for them, you know you would, so take the help and take a break. You deserve it.

In a related post, here are some thoughts I had on Reiki and Caplol.

The Daily Draw: The Hermit

TheHermit We live in an age where there is a steady barrage of information or, in many cases misinformation. Divergent multitudes with access to any kind of media platform seem to constantly be attempting to advise, educate, opine, warn, intimidate, cajole or terrorize us into accepting what they are presenting as the absolute truth. We become weary from information overload and having our BS filters on automatic overdrive so much of the time.

At the end of the day, what do we get from all this? We might know more things and have more facts. Some of them are even useful. The acquisition of this knowledge can be entertaining and emotive. Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart going head to head comes to mind – I can’t help but laugh while wanting to throw bricks at the TV. Oh, the distraction! So much noise and emotional button pushing, which is one reason I don’t plug into it like I once did.

Enter the Hermit, who reminds us of the importance of knowing ourselves, and that the best way to do that is to look within at who we are, what we feel, what we think, and what it all means. There are plenty of people in the world who would like to answer those questions for you, or at least tell you what those answers should be. Most of them are trying to sell you something. No one can ever know you as deeply as you can know yourself.

It is such an important part of self care to make the conscious effort of unplugging from all the noise, at least some of the time. Find that quiet place inside yourself. Cultivate it if it’s hard to find. Don’t be afraid to take the Hermit’s lantern and look in the darkest corners. You might want to ask for help from someone who can guide you on this search. You’ll know who that is. It’s all part of the process of understanding yourself, and it will ultimately bring you greater peace. Once you find that peace you can carry it with you even on the most crowded, cacophonous, city street.

The Daily Draw: Six of Cups

Six of Cups I’m surprised to find that Black Friday found its way to Ireland, especially considering the day prior to that is usually called Thursday and not Thanksgiving. Here, it is a marketing ploy that may or not bring in a few more shoppers. In the states, it seems to be a cataclysmic event on a scale somewhere between the running of the bulls and the zombie apocalypse. I’m aware that most of you reading this live there. I hope you’re all being very kind to yourselves today, and recovering well between major festive seasons.

The Six of Cups reminds us to take some time, to stop and smell the flowers. I can hear my New England friends and Family saying, “David, it’s December. Whatever flowers are left will soon be under six feet of snow.” Let’s not get hung up on details. Make a cup of something hot and share it with friends and family. Play with your children. If you don’t have any children, play anyway. The world won’t come crashing down if you put aside the routine for a little while.

Take some time to feel blessed because, you know, you are. No matter what you have going on in your life there is something positive you can focus on, even something as simple as waking up to another day, taking another breath, having another series of consecutive moments to do something new, create, connect, work, play, find or build your purpose in life. There are a lot of good things going on. Don’t let the harsher ones get all your attention, even if they are trying to demand it like a spoiled child.

December is a month of giving. Modern western society seems to have confused that with a month of buying. Yes, been there, done that, worn the dodgy Christmas sweater, and that’s all fine too. But, no matter what your beliefs, there’s more to the season of peace, goodwill and light returning to the world than maxing out your credit card and making sure the scales balance when exchanging gifts. Sure, who doesn’t like shiny, new things?

What the people around you really want (no matter what they write on their list) is your time, your attention and your love. We all want to connect on an emotional level, even if it goes unarticulated or it seems contrary to some people’s behaviour. You can’t change anyone else, but you can be their opportunity to change themselves.

This season, be the healer. Like an innocent child, bring some more joy and positivity into the world for any reason, for no reason, just because it feels good. Maybe it will be contagious.

The Daily Draw: Three of Pentacles

Three of Pentacles

I’m thinking we should have an enlarged print of this card framed and put in the lobby of the company where I work. There are a few hundred of us working on this one site, 800 or so around the world. Yet the company doesn’t have that big, impersonal feel to it. I suppose it’s Silicon Valley via Dublin in some ways. Everybody is on a first name basis from top to bottom, and any of them are just as likely to strike up a conversation with you about anything or nothing while making coffee or taking a breather out the front door. The unofficial company uniform is Jeans and jumpers.

On Monday morning’s there’s a fruit delivery, Wednesday’s it’s croissants and muffins. The odd time there are additional treats, like the ice cream truck rolling up on a hot summer’s day. The canteen includes a pool table, a ping pong table, a foosball table and a dart board. Today we’re on a half day due to the finals for all four of those events. There will be pizza, and at two PM there’s a bus into town for a pub crawl. The company and the social club foot the bill for all of the above.

OK, that’s not specifically Three of Pentacles energy, but it does describe the kind of informal, interpersonal, team environment in which the three of pentacles energy can thrive. We get the perks because the people who provide them know that, when required, we also put in the extra effort to complete a project and do it well. We play hard, we work hard. The harder we work, the more success we bring to the company. And we’re doing alright, (he said modestly).

Most people are happy to take part in this process, while being aware there is a method to the madness. I’ve worked for a number of companies since I started doing this tech writing gig twenty years ago. In some, there were rigid rules, little social interaction, proper dress codes, internet firewalls so heavy you couldn’t read your own mail. People came in, did their jobs and went home. Beyond that they didn’t really care.

In contrast, the environment here is conducive to getting things done. People are a lot more open and honest about what they’re doing and how it’s working out. There’s more discussing, planning, analysing, etc. Sometimes it seems like the actual production part is almost secondary.

When people like the process and enjoy participating in it, they are more likely to become invested in what they are doing. (Of course, it also helps when they like the work and are good at what they do, but we’ll take that as a given here – they wouldn’t last long otherwise). When a team enjoys the process, it can mean that common goals are exactly that, not just idle talk or aspirations. People are more interested in applying their skills and talents to the best of their ability. People are more likely to take pride in their work and strive to do “the right thing”, whatever they see that as, even if it means a bit more effort on their part, or even if it means tabling a perceived necessary change to the plan that disrupts the schedule and creates the need for reprioritization, things no one enjoys doing because they cost time and money. It is still a business after all. There might be a few 50 hour weeks along the way, but the whole team is sharing the load. It’s the difference between working with people you happen to see every day, and working with your mates.

The Daily Draw: Strength

It’s interesting to note that Strength follows The Chariot in the RWS (and many other) decks. They both have an aspect of influencing an outcome, but they go about it in completely different ways. The Chariot’s energy aligns with the solar plexus chakra while Strength’s aligns with the heart The chariot driver is willing to get results through force, pulling together a result through will and determination – You’ll do it his way, end of story. Strength might be just as determined, but in a gentler way, using patience and compassion instead of brute force.

Strength is the parent who seeks to reinforce behaviour by praising instead of criticizing. Strength can read the same story, tie the same shoes and reinforce the same lessons over and over without feeling impatient or exasperated. Repetition is a natural part of raising children.

Strength is the person who keeps their head when all about her lose theirs. Strength can be quite subtle, letting others expel more frenetic energy before calmly stepping in with a solution, perhaps even letting someone else believe it was their idea – the win, win resolution is what matters here, not the ego.

Strength is the person who has enough resolve to not be swayed by surrounding negativity. Anger and aggression are not returned in kind, because they are not taken personally –the other person’s behaviour does not control theirs. Assertive, not aggressive methods are sought to diffuse a situation as well as understanding, kindness, redirection, maybe even disconnection, at least temporarily. Strength knows that fighting fire with fire often results in a bigger fire. Strength also knows that, ultimately, nothing in the universe is as powerful a force as love.

The Daily Draw: Ten of Pentacles, Reversed

Ten of Pentacles, Reversed I’m in Dita authoring training all day so I’ll have to see if I can keep this brief. I’m as curious as you are.

In Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe uses the very descriptive phrase “haemorrhaging money” to describe the constant “necessary” expenditures of the Wall Street player at the center of the novel. I know that feeling. Each month this year has felt like a canal lock – one side of the lock, the side heading out, is extremely high compared to the other side, which begins well enough but lowers quickly in level until there is nothing but dry river bed. Then the paycheque comes in creating a temporary levelling of the waters. The floodgate opens the water once pours out, and the level lowers nearly as quickly as it rose. I’m guessing most of you get the analogy.

Well, people have been in economic servitude longer than you and I have been around. There’s a lot more to life than money, but if that’s your primary focus it can sure seem that there is not. Worse yet, it can feel like you are not providing for your family the way you would like to be.

I think this card is an invitation to be resourceful. Look for alternative means to tap into abundance. Maybe you can barter? Maybe provide a service? Broaden your horizon and make your own opportunities. A lot good ideas remain that way because they weren’t acted on. Whatever you do, do something.

In the meantime, remember that what is important are the people around you, not the things. Bob Bob Cratchit was a merry soul and Scrooge was a miserable old git. Yes, I know that’s just a story, but I think you see my point.

Of course, this card could also indicate that your mad uncle Mel is coming for the holidays and will completely disrupt your home and drive your entire family out of their minds. You’ll just have to look at the context for yourselves. I’m sticking with my first take.

The Daily Draw: Eight of Swords

Swords8

There is a theme to the higher-numbered sword cards that can be summed up as “you are your own worst enemy”. In the Ten, someone is experiencing pain, but not so much that they can’t over-dramatize it and make a bid for martyr of the year. In the Nine, a person is having a sleepless night due to the unproductive mental activities of stress, worry and anxiety, so the brain is working overtime and accomplishing nothing.

In the RWS deck’s Eight of Swords , we see a person who hasn’t quite reached the extremes of the Nine and Ten, but they are well on their way. How? In a word, they feel trapped. Maybe it’s in a situation, like a dead end job or endless debt (or both), maybe it’s in a relationship where the other person has come to feel like a burden but there is a sense of responsibility or obligation there. On the other hand it could be a controlling or abusive relationship that one feels cannot be escaped, at least without dire consequences. Really, it could be anything that you feel is inescapable, you’re helpless to do anything about, and can’t see a clear way out.

Anyone who has ever seen Dr Phil or Jeremy Kyle knows (I can’t believe I just put both those names in the same sentence) that this is where the audience starts saying (or shouting) “Get up, Go, walk away. Why are you still here?” It’s so much easier to be rational and objective when you are reviewing someone else’s life.

But here’s the thing. The person in this card is bound and blindfold, but those ties seem loose enough to shake off with a little effort. Her legs are not bound at all and the swords that seem to form a perimeter do not completely surround her. It appears she could just walk out the front of the card and leave. Of course, whoever is living in that distant castle might send guards chasing her down the beach, but she’d have a good head start. I didn’t say it would be easy.

What I am saying is that, when you are in the midst of a restrictive situation, it is quite possible to feel more trapped than you actually are. There is always a way out. There has to be, or else what is the point of hope? Often there is a way of peacefully separating yourself from what holds you back that respects and is in the best interest of all parties, but if there isn’t you have to protect yourself and look after yourself. Don’t willingly give away your freedom and power.