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Welcome It All!
Earlier this week, I returned from a trip to New Jersey, during which time I was able to reconnect with many beautiful souls. During my time back East, I shared sessions with clients and taught several classes. The feedback I received from my clients and students has been amazing. One woman who is facing surgery moved from a place of fear, to a place of peacefulness and all acceptance; another woman's surgery was cancelled altogether because of the huge shift she experienced in one of our Reiki classes; one student excitedly wrote to me, telling me how while she was sharing Reiki with a horse for the first time, not only did the horse she was working on soak up Reiki, yet so did all the horses in the barn; and during one exercise, as a group, our class sent long-distance Reiki to a dog facing many medical challenges who was confined to a vet's office - after receiving long-distance Reiki, however, he is now recovering with his "mum" from the comfort of his own home (which happens to be in the UK)! All of this feedback has been amazing...it's been very easy to welcome and embrace all this!
Since returning home, however, some "stuff," as I like to call it, has been showing up for me. I came home to some unexpected news, which evoked a great deal of emotion for me. Rather than burying the emotion that was showing up for me, I chose to welcome it. I chose to welcome it all. In the midst of welcoming it all, someone close to me stated, "Welcoming is about receiving good things...why would you want to welcome this?" Aaahh! And although I knew I was probably being judged in that moment, I also knew that I was doing what was ultimately in my best interest. Sure, welcoming the less than pleasant "stuff" is far from comfortable and yet...it's what truly sets us free. There's a reason why they say, "What you resist, persists."
Through my studies, I have learned that all emotion, whether deemed good or bad, is purely energy in motion. It's in our body for a reason...crying out for our attention. For me, I was facing the less than comfortable emotion of anger. (Yes, your Reiki Master/Teacher does feel anger...I am human!) I could have struggled to put on a happy face and pretend all was well in my world; truth be told, however, I was angry. I knew I had to welcome that anger; and so, I did. I cried for hours and would then try to wipe away my tears...only to find out there was more emotion begging to come out. And so, I continued to welcome it all. Sometimes the emotions ebbed/flowed, while other times they came washing over me like tidal waves. (Even Mother Earth experiences the stillness of a calm, sunny day, followed by the torrential down pour of rain and thunder.) After a long day of me welcoming it all, I finally cried out to the Universe for help. It was then that a vow I had made a long time ago came creeping back into my memory. I knew I had to undo the energy of this limiting vow which was holding me back and so, I asked someone to work with me by sharing a short, yet effective, Journey™ Process with me. The memories attached to the vow went back to childhood days when I was molested. That could explain the intensity of some of the emotion that was rising within me all day long. And as fearful as it was to face that "again," what would have been more traumatic for me, would be to keep walking around with that vow in place - holding me back in life, holding me back from being a full expression of who I am and what I truly desire. Had I not welcomed all that emotion all day and asked for help, I'd probably still be carrying the energy of that vow around with me. Now, although circumstances have not changed, what has changed is that I'm more at peace with it all.
For some people, it's much easier to sweep things under the welcome mat, as opposed to welcoming them in. Sweeping things under the mat may initially give some the illusion of working, however, on an energetic level, it's still there. Imagine sweeping some painful memory/emotion under a welcome mat. It appears to be hidden...out of sight, out of mind - right? Wrong! Every time you take a step onto that mat, trying to welcome something "new" into your life, you're still grounding yourself to the energy of what's under that welcome mat. Some may know you've hidden it away, while others haven't a clue what lies under that mat. On some level, however, you know it's there. And instead of facing it for once and for all, you keep tip-toeing around it, hoping that soon you too will have no recollection of its existence. And this may work - for awhile. Then someday, the corner of the mat gets lifted and some of your "stuff" gets kicked up. Or maybe the mat is thrown away, leaving your "stuff" fully exposed. What do you do? Do you choose to ignore it? Or do you welcome it with open arms?
Since embarking on this journey that I'm on, so much has shifted in my life. As I continue to face the less than pleasant things of my past, I step into more boundlessness, more freedom. This allows me to be of better service to not only myself, yet also to those I'm blessed to work with. Even students who re-sit my Reiki classes say, "WOW, these classes keep getting better and better." That's because I'm going deeper and deeper on my journey, shedding more "stuff" along the way. I am not the same teacher I was three years ago. I know three years from now I will not be the same teacher I am today. That's because this path we walk on is a journey, not a destination. I keep choosing to welcome it all - the good, the bad, the happy and sad. Of course it's far more fun to welcome the good and happy; and yet, if I didn't welcome the other "stuff," I wouldn't be enjoying the good/happy nearly as much as I do today. As you begin to peel away the layers of baggage in your life, peace feels more peaceful. Love is more vibrant. Stillness is more natural.
When we choose to run from the opportunity to heal, we may think that we've outwitted memories or emotions. We excitedly move into a new relationship, a new job, a new creative endeavor of some kind and all is going great....then all of a sudden - BAM! Oh no, here's my "stuff" again! And it's the same stuff! Really, imagine that?! When we don't face it, it keeps following us. The stage may change and the actors may change, yet the theme remains the same - it's still your stuff! It especially plays out in the most important relationship you'll ever have - the one you have with you!
Coming back from Jersey, I had to take a few days off to recharge my battery and catch up on some much needed sleep. Sleeping in sweats all day and just barely making it outside to walk the dog, I was quite a sight I'm sure. When I finally "came back" and looked in the mirror, I saw that what I thought was a pimple on my forehead was actually a burn from the curling iron; I found out that my back which had been itching me like crazy was because I was peeling from a little too much sun during the few short hours I took to walk the Jersey Shore; and there was even a black/blue mark on my leg. Was this obvious to others around me? YES! And yet, because I wasn't looking at it, I "thought" it didn't exist. And yet it was there, all along. So my question to you is what aren't you looking at? What emotions and memories are you allowing to hold you captive from being the bright/shining light I KNOW you are? Do you dare to look at them and claim power/victory over them for once and for all...or are you going to let them keep running your life into the ground in some way? I know it's not easy...I've gone through my share of "stuff" to look at. One of the first things I tell my clients is how proud I am of them for their willingness to explore what's holding them back. If this was easy work, everyone would be doing it! It's not always fun or easy! And yet, we expend so much more time and energy trying (key word here is trying) to bury and hide its hold over us. Ignoring it only gives it more power. When you have someone who loves you unconditionally, who is willing to hold your hand and support you every step of the way, the boundless freedom you're stepping into is beyond your wildest dreams! And that, my beautiful souls, is my prayer for you. That you have the courage to face whatever is holding you back in life in some way. Stop self-sabotage. Instead, WELCOME IT ALL! Sometimes the answers are painfully obvious, while other times, they require chiseling away at the layers. Regardless, it is WELL WORTH the exploration! And if/when you are ready, I am here to support you. I believe in you, and I see the light that you truly are. I just hope and pray you choose to let your light shine to its full magnificence. For in doing so, you not only help yourself...you also impact the lives of many others. Let your light shine! Be the gift you're meant to be in this world.
  
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