How Long Will this Take?

“If someone wishes for good health, one must first ask oneself if he is ready to do away with the reasons for his illness. Only then is it possible to help him.”
~ Hippocrates~

When I first speak with a new or potential patient I ask them, point blank, what they want Reiki to do for them and why they are here. In almost every instance the response is “I want to feel better” or “I want to GET better”. While that is different for everyone it more commonly refers to pain: emotional, spiritual, or physical.  When mind, body, and spirit are not in balance it leads to a sense of dis-ease, often manifesting in physical aches and pains, depression, frustration, or a general lack of feeling content and balanced. Bringing these facets into balance always brings relief in some form.

When people ask me, “Is it really that simple?” Or “Reiki can fix this?” The answer is always, “YES. And NO.”  Reiki works at the fundamental root of all these issues, but not without a willing participant. So yeah… it is actually that simple. But Reiki will also bring you to a new level, a new platform, so it is the INDIVIDUAL doing the work– not me. I am merely a guide, a conduit. While I am innately skilled AND extensively trained, I can only guide you to a new place and relay what I find.  Kind of like getting an x-ray; you can see there is a fracture or break in a bone, but I see a composite of the person, a block in the energy flow, a break or tear in the emotional core. In a way, it is no different than any life altering change we seek out– whether that be a healthy body by changing our diets and eating more mindfully, or releasing frustration and anger to heal lifelong emotional trauma, or even addressing physical aches and pains by adding exercise into our daily lives.  The work comes from you– the energy shifts come from Reiki, the guidance and support come from me.

Often times people have no desire to address what they feel is mundane or “less than spiritual” but what I can tell you from experience with BOTH my self and many patients, is that the mundane may not be sexy, but it’s got TEETH! When we seek to only develop one area of ourselves we create our own imbalance, and never seem to find a level of fulfillment. We are of this Earth and of this time– the very here, and the very now.  While a continual advancement of the Spirit is noble and important, what good does it actually serve you when your physical body is shutting down? You will still not achieve the balance we all try to seek.  This is a vicious cycle and an age-old dilemma.

What Reiki can do is work on a deeper level– uncovering wounds and energy blocks at the levels that need healing the most. Everything in its’ proper order and time. If depression and emotional pain are at the forefront, this area must be put in balance before attempting to reach a higher spiritual level. There are so many simple basics to harmony we simply dismiss and forget about. Reiki puts you on the path of bringing those basics into your daily life.  When you start to feel better on one level, you become ready to address new areas and blocks.  Another frequent question I receive is “How long will it take before I feel better?”  In essence “How long is this going to take?”  What I can tell you is that you may start to feel better with one single treatment.  The rest is up to you.  So my response will be “How long do you want it to take?”

Don’t get me wrong, I am not being flippant nor am I picking on anyone, I am being brutally honest. Bottom line, you are in charge of your own wellness plan– I am merely here as a healer with a gift and should be considered a weapon in your arsenal.  How you wield it is entirely up to you.  It’s not that everyone who comes leaves with a complicated diet plan, or told they have to lose 50 lbs, or join a gym with a trainer 6 days per week.  Some things may be as simple as limiting your carbohydrates or making a simple food swap in your diet, adding a supplement like flax oil or perhaps you are Vitamin D deficient. Reiki can work on emotional blocks and often times I make recommendations on how to eliminate one level of stress based on what is found in the body scan.  But to someone who really does not actually WANT to get better, I may as well have told them to prep for the Iron Man Triathalon and be ready next week.

Physical pain and symptoms are evidence of a much deeper issue (and I don’t mean you lifted something too heavy and tweaked a muscle). I mean chronic aches and pains that are ever present. Chronic pain can lead to depression and emotional pain– which is very typical and logical.  Therefore the emotional block and the depressed state become the first target for Reiki.  Heal the root cause and you eliminate the symptoms.  Finding ways to open your Spirit and elevate your spiritual being are also large Reiki targets, but often times they are further down the road. Though when you heal one area of your life, the Spirit cannot help but be elevated and opened, often times leading a person to a more enlightened and harmonious state.

Bottom line, Reiki is good for what ails ya’– but if you aren’t willing or open to dealing with change it’s likely you won’t find “success”. However if a person has gone so far as to seek me out, chances are strong they are ready and willing.  Though the path will not be without it’s own roadblocks and pitfalls– we are, after all, human :-).  I see people not only as they present themselves in illness, but more importantly as they would be in perfect health and balance in full discovery of their true nature, unique in body, mind, and spirit. Moving toward this, then, becomes the purpose of treatment.

Namaste, my Light Warriors!