Thursday, October 2, 2014

Finding my groove...with Reiki

I've known in the back of my mind that I needed to update my blog, but I can't believe it's been a year and a half since I've written!  A lot has happened in the last 18 months.  I have become a Certified Yoga Teacher, we bought our first house, moved into said house (yes, that was worth it's own line item), completed several awesome custom mosaic installations, and traveled a fair amount.  We have two more Burning Man visits under our belt.  We have had many family members and friends visit us. My sister even came for a 5 week summer sabbatical and was a tremendous help with our move. We've enjoyed watching several friends become parents for the first and second time.  I've had some really successful shows and a couple of real duds.  I've collaborated with dear friends to host day-long and multi-day workshops that have been as beneficial to us as they have been to the students.  It's been an amazing time of personal and professional growth.

Sunset at Chateau Weaver

It's feeling like my own personal New Year.  I'm not sure if it's the mentality of buying a home and setting down roots, or if it's the fact that my 40th birthday is approaching....I also get a little introspective right after Burning Man too.  Maybe it's a little of all of the above, but I'm feeling the need to regroup, reassess and get a little more clear on my path.  The last couple of years, I'm finally in a comfortable groove- I have a steady stream of fun interesting work, I am surrounded by an amazing community of friends and colleagues, I am thoroughly enjoying teaching yoga, and am blessed to have the most supportive, loving partner.  Sometimes it just seems too easy.  For that I am grateful!  But what to do to keep that flow going?

I used to be the person to wait for the other shoe to drop.  Knowing that "This too shall pass" doesn't just refer to the difficult times to end and easier times to begin, it's also the opposite, and kind of makes me anxious.  There is an ebb and flow to life, good and bad, easy and hard, quiet and hectic, yin and yang. For me it just seems that the highs and lows have relatively small swings. I attribute this to Reiki.

What is Reiki?  From my teacher and friend Denise Sheehan's website, "Reiki (pronounced “ray-key”) is defined as spiritually guided universal life force energy that promotes stress reduction and relaxation and contributes to healing. Reiki, a form of energetic clearing and balancing, works on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels, restoring balance to body, mind, and spirit. Reiki also releases sub-conscious barriers and other obstacles, and empowers dreams and goals."  The great thing about Reiki is that there is no dogma and it isn't attached to any particular religion. I have friends of many different religious denominations and many with no religious affiliations who use Reiki.  To me, I just see it as another tool in the tool belt in addition to prayer, meditation and other daily practices that bring me closer to the divine nature which is at my core.

Kind of like my yoga practice, Reiki does not define me, but has had tremendous impact on my life...in a subtle yet profound way!  When I had experienced this sense of ease in my life for an extended amount of time, I looked back and the thing in my life that had changed was the fact that I had incorporated Reiki into my daily routine in a multitude of ways.  It's hard to say when things changed, but there was a definite shift. The right people came along at the right time, relationships were easier, I felt less need to control things around me (especially things I couldn't control), oh and abundance- in every aspect including prosperity. Work was flowing in, I was doing fantastic at shows.  I no longer go to bed stressing about money. Imagine that!

Great Reno Balloon Races from our backyard
So I guess when I'm thinking about how to proceed, it's to continue a life of ease, to be grateful of the many blessings in my life, and to continue to do my best to serve my fellow beings that chose to be on this journey with me. Mosaics and yoga and painting will work their way in there somewhere.

If you have questions about my path with Reiki or would like to get more information about Reiki attunements, please comment below or send me a private message.