Resting on the Energy

During our Reiki II Okuden class this past Sunday, we practiced a technique for scanning the energy above the body.  One student beautifully described her experience as feeling like she was resting her hands on the recipient’s energy field.  She didn’t feel like she was using any effort to hold her hands above their body, and as the energy shifted, she would then feel her hands drop into the flow of its movement.  Her lovely description gave me a moment to reflect on how hands-on healing with Reiki really is all about resting our hands on the energy.

As with many beginners, when I started my Reiki journey almost 15 years ago, I had this need to feel like I was doing something “more” than resting my hands on or above the body.  It took me a little while to trust that the energy, in its infinite wisdom, would flow where it is most needed.  As I learned more and more to enjoy simply being in the fullness of the energy without the distractions of too many bells and whistles, my experience and the experience of my clients grew deeper and more fulfilling.

While navigating these stormy weeks that will transition into spring, I realize that the noise of the rain, ice, snow and wind is the beginnings of nature’s flow of energy becoming full once again.  As the weather settles, Mother Earth will once again become filled to the brim in her mud-luscious state, and life will quietly and magically emerge.  The flowers will seemingly bloom overnight, the air will be full of their perfume and animals will gear up for the active cycles of the year.

Last weekend I also watched the sweetest film called Dare to Be Wild.  It is based on the true story of Mary Reynolds, the Irish woman who, against all odds, won the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show.  As she came up against each obstacle, in her own way she would stay present in her faith and higher vision until something would start to flow in the direction of her dream.  One of the main attractions of her landscape design was the use of the mystical Hawthorn tree.  The night before the judging, she is found whispering to the Hawthorn tree, asking it to bloom in time.  In Celtic tradition, the Hawthorn tree is known for not only protecting one from negative influences, but also “fertilizing” one’s deepest wishes.  It is a tree known for beckoning the spirits of the faery realm, reminding one to let go of the logical mind and experience the mystical side of life and nature itself.

Despite the cold winter weather this week, there is a rumbling of new life beneath our feet.

As we prepare to enjoy the onset of spring’s beauty and become more active in the world, what wishes are you fertilizing?

In what ways does your life already feel full and leave you in a state of gratitude?

How are you staying present with that fullness as you encounter any obstacles, and trusting in the flow of the great river of life?

While it’s easy to point out the things that aren’t working or to make a long list of what we “should” be doing, when we rest our focus on the energy of how we want to be and feel, life transforms into a magical journey!