Are you on a spiritual path?

Do you ever find yourself pressured to “have it all figured out?” Well, I’d like to share with you one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned.

The success of your spiritual quest is only to be found in your ability to extract the lessons and the blessings from the inevitable mistakes, hardships and crises.

Keep reading and I’ll share with you a lite-version of this type of lesson and the (not so secret) power that we hold in how we choose to respond.

Sometimes the Lesson Begins with a Mistake

So recently I posted a picture of some lovely sunflowers that my wife had gotten for me. Then I shared how I had attuned the water to Reiki and expected the flowers to last for awhile…

Well, fast forward one week and one of the flowers had died! So does this mean that the Reiki didn’t work? No. And here’s why…

When I was setting up the “vase” I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I had to twist the flowers to get them to all fit through the opening. Normally, I would consider a vase with that size opening to be a “bud vase” – suitable for one or two flowers at the most.

But the vessel in question was previously a leaky jug that I had decided to repurpose by removing its cap. I had put on my little safety glasses and taken out my pliers and pried that cap free with my own two hands, creating what I thought was a pretty blue vase.

So when I had the chance to get flowers, I knew two things.

#1: I wanted to use my “new” vase.

And #2: I wanted sunflowers, because, well I’ve been wanting them for awhile.

And as I shoved those enormous stems into that tiny little opening, I didn’t seem to notice (read: care) that they didn’t really fit. Then over the weekend, when it was 76 degrees in the house and condensation was building up inside of the vase, unable to escape past the choking flowers, I didn’t do anything because I wanted it to work.

So when I woke up today to one drooping flower, I pretty quickly absorbed some vital lessons…

The Opportunity to Learn

#1: I’d been so attached to what I thought I wanted, what I believed would make me happy, that I didn’t take the time to assess whether or not my decisions would in fact yield the best outcome.

#2: It is not Reiki’s job to pick up the messes created by our poor decisions.

What Does It Really Mean to Be “Complementary?”

I’d like to unpack this last lesson a little more. Reiki is often labeled as “complementary.” Well, what does that mean? Most of the time that’s defined as meaning it works well with other modalities, including Western or allopathic medicine. But I think we can take it a little further.

It means that Reiki makes a wonderful partner in encouraging physical, mental and emotional healing and health. Reiki never takes away our free will. It can’t make our decisions for us. It’s Spiritual or God energy. It would never do that to us.

Reiki: Messenger of Divine Guidance

But the amazing thing is, that the more we connect to the energy of Reiki, the more we are able to receive messages from the Divine about what would help us to be healthy or feel better. This could be eating certain foods (or not eating others), ending a dysfunctional relationship, or even working with a new doctor. (Yes, sometimes Reiki guides us to Western medicine, if that is in our best interest.) But it is always, always, always up to us whether or not we wish to act upon this guidance that Reiki helps us to receive.

You see, I’ve been attuning the water in flower vases for years now and usually have the flowers last quite beautifully for about a month. (Which IMO is really amazing for the $6 bouquets that I usually get at the grocery store.) But this time, I was in a rush. It was my wife’s and my anniversary. We needed to feed the dogs so we could move on with our evening. I wanted to share a picture of the flowers.

And so I didn’t stop to really listen as I put/shoved the flowers into the vase, even though I did hear a whisper of discomfort. I didn’t sit with the flowers for a couple of minutes after placing them on the table, giving them Reiki, drawing the Reiki symbols over them, thanking them for their beauty. I’m sure if I had, that whisper would have turned into a roar and I would have switched the vase right then.

Using Your Reiki Practice to It’s Fullest Potential

So my wisdom offering to you is this:

When you’re rushing and feeling attached to a particular outcome, and therefore, a little blind to what may actually be best, do yourself a favor and stop. Even stop for just 30 seconds. Take a couple of breaths. If you do Reiki, place one hand over your heart chakra and one hand over your solar plexus chakra, and just breathe.

Now listen. Are there any messages for you? Is there a better course of action available to you? If so, are you willing to do that instead? Okay, good.

Always remember, you are never a passenger inside of your Reiki practice. You need to be a willing participant. You are a practitioner, not a sit-there-and-do-nothing-er. And yet notice the reference to the word “practice” inside practitioner. There is never an expectation of perfection. Be gentle with yourself! You deserve that love and support! It’s a continually evolving process of learning, growing and loving ever more deeply.

And if you can adopt that mindset, the doors of Divinely guided living will open up to you. This is the true gift, the true magic, of Reiki. It’s in the day to day. It’s in living the Reiki way.

Honoring the Process

But it’s a continual process. Every day you have a choice. Every day you have free will. Every day you get to choose to listen or to ignore. I’ve been practicing Reiki for over 17 years and I still have moments of utter disconnectedness, as evidenced by my “tale of the unfortunate sunflower.”

So what do you do when that happens?

You forgive yourself.

You honor your journey.

And you start again.

Because that’s all there is to do. Reiki continually implores us to do our best, to live from our centers. But then, through the Reiki principles, it reminds us that everyday is a new day to start over and try again.

And sometimes the lesson is in the mess. Sometimes we need to stray from the path to once again get the chance to choose the path. I needed a reminder to slow down. And when I was connected with Reiki this morning upon finding the wilted flower, I was ready to receive the lesson. And as I lovingly trimmed the flowers, placed them in a new vase and gave them Reiki, I was given a chance at redemption.

So never let a bad yesterday ruin a good today. You are a work in progress. We all are. The challenge lies in honoring that truth.

Just when I think I’ve gone deep into the belly of Reiki, it reveals new wisdom to me. Reiki is a practice that provides ever expanding opportunities for evolution and transformation. It has the power to always bring us just what we need. And I am honored to continue to receive…

And all of this – right here – is why I love Reiki…

Thanks so much for reading here today. I hope you keep allowing your Reiki to evolve and grow with you. And I hope you remember that when fear, guilt or pain fill your heart, that forgiveness is always the answer.

So Reiki ON, my dear Reiki friends!

Wishing you peace, love and many Reiki blessings,

Tarin Rataic, The Reiki Guide