Recently a client who was filled with grief said to me, while she was lying on the Reiki table, “You know I really don’t believe in this.” I reassured her that it is not necessary to believe in Reiki for it to work. I then asked her what she had heard about Reiki. She said, “That it is relaxing.” Then we had our ground for agreement: Reiki is relaxing. I went on to say, “When we are relaxed:
- we heal more quickly
- think more clearly
- act more mindfully
- and we’re more creative.”
She nodded her head in agreement and said, “I think stress is worse for your health than eating junk food.”
This type of conversation reminds me of this quote from my Creative Grief Coaching Certification program:
When we trust and believe we are more resilient, resourceful, and creative. Furthermore, trusting and believing open us to the possibility of connecting with others. Through connection we turn our backs on shame, which is an emotion often tied with the grieving process and can cause us to be stuck in our grief.
In the Creative Grief Coaching program we have been exploring shame. It is the topic of Brene Brown’s book, “I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t),” which is filled with heart-opening stories from her extensive research on shame. The stories are often very easy to relate to and heart breaking, at times, too. As we connect with each other we find that, “It isn’t just me. Other women experience the same challenges with their bodies, relationships, and money.” Through this connection we can overcome fear, blame, and shame and work creatively in our grief process.
Reiki is a wonderful tool for our lives as we work with grief and seek ways to relax and connect. With it we can find the way to open our hearts and connect with ourselves, others, and the universe. We can heal faster, think more clearly and creatively, and act more mindfully.
I’m so excited to announce that I’ve started training to be a Creative Grief Coach. I’m studying with Kara Jones and Cath Duncan from the