The holidays can increase our busy-ness with family gatherings, shopping, cooking, travel, etc. We often feel too rushed take the time to activate the Reiki Symbols by drawing them and doing our full activtion process. Remember that it is ok to activate Reiki just by thinking about it. The symbols will activate simply because you invite them. They don't need your full attention when you are too busy too spend alot of time. Reiki will adapt to your schedule and help you in whatever way you need it most.

Reiki makes your day flow easier because it aligns you with higher thought and increased vitality, which gives you the ability to think and act from a balanced perspective. One of my personal favorite "higher perspectives" is that I don't engage in all of the opinions at the holiday family gatherings. I just sit back and watch and enjoy. It has given me so much freedom! I don't have to say everything I think. Consider trying it, it is really great. Reiki makes it easy for me not to be attached to it all. I also think Reiki is directly responsible for my front row parking karma. Seriously, I always get the best parking spots! I think about the Reiki Distance symbol, and the direction I need to drive to get the parking spot highlights in front of me. It seems as if serendipities follow me, (or I follow them, I don't know which) and I get to watch the small ways my day is easier. Reiki seems to open my mind so that I can notice. They probably happen to everyone all the time, but Reiki seems to make the small blessings visible to me. I get to experience them and notice their presence. It helps me to look for them too which is a nice way to spend my time.

I could go on and on about the advantages of inviting Reiki into your holidays, but this is a blog and I try to keep it short. I think my main message is to remind myself and any of you that this is helpful to, to simply invite Reiki in whatever way you have time for. It is a wonderful feeling to activate Reiki by drawing the drawing all the symbols into your hands and the room, but if you don't have time, invite Reiki with your thoughts while you are in the middle of your busy-ness. It will help you stay centered and in the flow of your own inner guidance as you do all the things you have to do to make your holidays happen.

Send Reiki into the following days, again you can just send it quickly with your thoughts, and ask for it to guide you to easy holidays. Set your intention that they are easy and that you enjoy them. Remember the Reiki Ideals. They are really helpful during this time. Just for today, I will not anger, or worry, I will be filled with gratitude and devoted to my work, and I will be kind to all others. When you read them, you can see how they align you with a different perspective. Do self-Reiki by just thinking about Reiki and placing your hands on your body wherever you are, you can be very inconspicuous. I also sing and chant the names of the Reiki symbols to call them in. I like to do this while I clean my house and it fills the house with Reiki. Most of all, use Reiki the way that it works for you. Make it easy on yourself. Reiki doesn't ever want to be the "one more thing you have to do," it will come because you invited it. It always shows however you activate it.

Blessings for wonderful holidays!

Colleen

PS, I am turning off the ability to post comments on this blog because I get so much spam. The people who really want to comment just get lost in the middle of it all. You can send me an email at colleen@reiklifestyle.com if you want to reach me or comment.

The Reiki Gratitude Ceremony is a wonderful ceremony for Thanksgiving and holiday dinners. The Reiki Burning Bowl Ceremony is great for the New Year celebrations.  I have written free instructions for each and posted them on my website, making it easy for you to create your own ceremonies. Just go to my Reiki Ceremonies page and download the instructions, prayers and easy instructions for everything else you need. I have the link to the page below. I have tried to emphazize the word easy so you know that this is something you can comfortably add to your celebrations. They are meaningful, enjoyable, and can be adapted to be appropriate for all belief systems.

I have also written articles about Reiki and Gratitude and the Reiki Burning Bowl and they are here on the website too. I have also placed that link below.The articles add depth to the understanding behind each of the ceremonies. Dr. Usui's Reiki Ideal, "Just for today, I will be grateful," inspired me to meditate, pray and focus on gratitude. I was inspired to create the Reiki Gratitude Ceremony during my meditations. The holidays were coming up and I could envision people gathered together with family and friends and adding gratitude to their homes and out into the world. And if we had the ceremony all over the country and in other parts of the world, there would be a powerful vibration of thanksgiving broadcast all over the planet. The gratitude and love from ceremony is sent to the World Peace Grids and they in turn send the power of the collective prayers all over the world.

The Reiki Burning Bowl Ceremony was inspired by a ceremony I had heard about from the Unity Church years ago. I adapted it and added Reiki.  It is a method of letting go of what no longer serves you. The things that you don't want to take into the new year. This ceremony uses Reiki to release and heal the energy and limitations that hold you back. It then empowers your life force which helps you manifest your intentions and goals.

I hope these ceremonies add beauty and love to your holidays!

Here is the link to the instruction page for Reiki Ceremonies: Reiki Ceremonies.   And here is the link to my articles page: Reiki and Gratitude and Reiki Burning Bowl Ceremony.   Click here to read about the World Peace Grids: Reiki.org. Ioffer my Reiki Articles, Ceremonies, Craft Projects and Photo Galleries for free on my website: www.reikilifestyle.com.

Love and gratitude to you all!

Colleen

Yikes! The news, the opinions, the rants! I have to turn it off. Some people say I need to stay informed by watching the news, but I find that the stories occupy my mind. I try to clear my thoughts, which works for a while, but inevitably the conversations around me bring it all back up again. Yesterday, I posted my article from Reiki News Magazine, Spring, '10, about using Reiki to clarify my opinions. I am appreciative of my own information today. Now I know I posted the article because I am the one who needed a reminder to use Reiki to release all of the opinions playing around in my head. It feels like they have taken over my thoughts and I have other things I would rather think about.

So I called on Reiki this morning. Reiki has a remedy for unwanted thoughts. The Usui Power symbol, CKR, gently releases what isn't serving us from our body. The Mental/Emotional symbol, SHK, clarifies our thoughts and empowers our creativity. The Distance symbol, HSZSN, takes it all to the light for healing, and connects us to our pure heart. I had a busy morning, so I called on the Reiki symbols as I was making breakfast, I sat and ate quietly, and I listened for a minute. I remembered the freedom I feel when I am not engaged in the negative thought waves broadcast on the news. I thought about the opinions I had collected as my own and whether they were really mine, and decided that mostly they weren't, so I asked Reiki to release me from them. I felt lighter quickly. I was reminded that Reiki heals effortlessly and I don't have to struggle to be free of my negative opinions. I remembered Dr. Usui's Reiki Ideal, "Just for today, I will be grateful." I remembered that gratitude changes my thoughts and my feelings. I took a moment to be thankful and asked Reiki to empower my gratitude all day. Once I connected to my gratitude, my thoughts automatically changed. I realized that unless I was going to take action with my negative opinions, they will just stay in the realm of disturbing mind chatter with no where to go except into my body. If I stay in the thoughts of gratitude, I feel good, and my mind is peaceful and creative, and that is the energy that will go into my body. I am grateful to Reiki, it is truly miraculous in so many small ways.

I am going to go enjoy the day now. It is the second day of summer, perhaps the sun will shine its beautiful face on us today! Just for today, I will be grateful. Tomorrow I will remember again.

Click here to read the article, Reiki Clarifies Opinions.

Opinions.pdf (1.47 mb)

My head didn't blow up after all! I was lead to believe that if I didn't write my blog every week, and stay in touch on facebook and twitter, my Reiki Lifestyle website would be lost in obscurity and my world would abruptly halt! I don't know where I came by that belief, must be from the "theys" out there, but I am here to say that I have survived after two months without a blog and social networking!

Three months ago my mother broke her pelvis in three places, and my priorities had to change in a day. I have to say, it has been very disorienting. One day my Reiki clients, classes, website, blog, writing, making Reiki craft projects occupied my thoughts, and the next day, hospitals, doctors, nursing homes, insurances and my moms pain were all I had time for. Everything else had to go to the bottom of the list. Blogs and social networking ended up last! I admit, I worried about it. I was just starting to really understand how it all works. Everyone I consulted with, told me that I had to "stay on top of it" to be successful with my website. I have spent a good deal of time creating a new website this year, so I was very dedicated to doing everything I was told.

Thank the universe for Reiki! I gave myself Reiki and I also received Reiki treatments from others. Reiki reduced the stress I was under so I could think clearly and know what foot to put in front of the other each day. Reiki helped me surrender my personal needs and focus on my mothers needs. It helped me prioritize her first. On days when I felt anxious or worry about the work I wasn't getting done, missed deadlines, and unwritten blogs, Reiki could help my mind let go and return my focus to what was important. The Reiki symbol SHK, helps us feel joy on the inside, even when our emotions are difficult on the outside. It is the mental/emotional symbol and it directly balances the right and left side of the brain. It helps intuition and logic work together. It aligns the chakras iin the body with the mind, so our physical body and mind are in sync so we can listen with heightened awarenss. I called on this powerful symbol everyday. Usually I only had time for short Reiki treatments, and I often only had time to invite the Reiki symbols on the run, but I invited Reiki into my situations all day long. I could feel its support under me and through me. I have been emotionally and mentally strong throughout this time. I attribute so much of my clarity of actions to the inner guidance I received when my stress was reduced by Reiki.

Today is the first day that I have had time to sit down and write like this. I do love it and am really glad to be back now. I also plan to start posting on facebook and twitter again. It has been great to be away from the demands I was placing on myself over my blog and social networking. I have come back with a whole new perspective. I really appreciate having the time and luxury to sit and write my blog. I also look forward to talking with all the people on my Reiki facebook pages, Colleen Benelli and Reiki Lifestyle. I love the opportunity to meet and talk to people all over the world about Reiki! 

Warm Blessings on this beautiful Autumn afternoon!

Colleen Benelli

Please share your experiences with creating priorities in your life!

Contact Colleen by email at colleen@reikilifestyle.com, or by phone at 503 668-3308.

I love all the comments on my Reiki Lifestyle blog. Thank you for taking the time to share. It makes a difference when we can learn from each others experiences.

Reed, I agree that it is important to share with others how long it can take to build a Reiki practice. It takes a while to develop and implement a business plan, and there can be lots of delays and obsticles as well as successes. (Just to be clear, I have never created a formal business plan.) I use Reiki to help me navigate through my days and my priorities.  I start with a plan and the Reiki Ideal,  "Just for today, I will devote myself to my work." Some days my work shows up as planned and other days life tells me what my work is. For example, I have had delays in the plans for my Reiki practice for the past few weekes. My mother injured her back and instead of working on my website, writing blogs, keeping up with social networking, and writing my next Reiki News Magazine article, my work has shown up as taking care of her. The work I thought I would be doing was delayed and I missed a bunch of deadlines.

At first glance, it would seem that taking care of my mother was not in my business plan. However, my business is Reiki healing and healing begins with family. As my shamanic teacher Jan Engels-Smith taught me from day one, "Heal family first, then community, then the world." In the past, I have sometimes resented the delays I have experienced when I plan to get things done for my Reiki business, and instead have had family to care for first. However, the longer I have been a professional Reiki practitioner and teacher, the more I know that taking care of my family is my priority. It is my spiritual practice and my Reiki practice, and it is my Reiki training and my Reiki business. I have learned that time for healing my family and friends is in my Reiki business plan. It would be strange to put all of my energy and attention into offering healing to others and not to those I love most.

I can't say that I am always perfectly selfless in these situations. I would like to think I am, but I experience stress, frustrations and impatience at times. I use the Reiki techniques and tools to manage my feelings when life changes my plans. In some situations it is best to only think of today and devote myself to my work however it shows up. In those cases, I put one foot in front of the other, and do what needs to be done next. I give myself Reiki to help me let go of the stress so I can graciously move into the work I am given. Today, I am grateful that my mom is feeling pretty good so I have time to write. My daughter-in-law is going to see her with my granddaughter so I have even more time. Now I can work on my next article for Reiki News Magazine, "Reiki and Power Animals."

When I get to my moms this afternoon, I will leave behind the things I didn't finish, and any worry I may feel because of it. I will shift my energy and focus to my mom and remember that this is way harder for her than it is for me. She is the one in pain and her life has also unexpectedly changed. I will give her Reiki to alleviate her pain, and also the stress she must feel at having her life halted. She is a very active senior who volunteers alot and has a very busy social life. I am grateful that I can help her and that Reiki has given me the skills and tools I need for her healing. And my own!

So when you plan on your Reiki business practices, leave room in that plan for healing of family and friends. If you get frustrated by delays, give yourself Reiki to bring you back to clarity about your spiritual and Reiki practice, and to bring you patience when it all takes longer than you thought it would.

Please share your Reiki stories, challenges and successes with us. We all learn from each other!

We all know what mind garbage is. It is the useless, repetitive thoughts that rob our attention from our creativity. The ones that circle around and around in one sided debates about a particular issue or person. It is often the stuff that drives us into a downward spiral of thought into negativity. Many times we can’t even do anything about the subjects of our mind garbage. Our thoughts just waste our time circling. We may even know it is mind garbage, but we can’t seem to stop ourselves.

When I am thick in the habit of a circling thought, I look for Reiki techniques to help me find my way out. I usually call on the Usui Mental/Emotional Symbol to help. Its name in Japanese literally means “To create a new habit.” It also balances the mind, both the right and left side of the brain, so that I can think from my heart and my practical mind. I ask for new ways to see a situation.

One day, I was driving to Seattle from Portland, Oregon, and I was completely trapped in circling mind garbage. Naturally I don’t remember the subject, that is how important it was. I grew so tired of my own thoughts that I called out to Reiki and my Guides to help me change my mind. Within one minute, a car pulled ahead of me with a bumper sticker on it that said, “Don’t believe everything you think.” I laughed and said thanks for my moment of Reiki therapy! I love thinking about how these serendipities get organized for our benefit. It is always part of the fun!

 I recently decided to spend the day being lazy, watching movies, reading books, doing anything or nothing. I realized that I often miss the opportunity to relax when I choose to spend a day like this, letting guilt distract me from my laziness.

I know that Reiki helps with anything, so today I did some self-Reiki and asked to feel the enjoyment of laziness, to experience the quiet that comes from a day with no tasks ahead of me. Just to do what I wanted in every moment, and to love what I chose to do.  Funny thing is, I like to work. As soon as I allowed the laziness to come in, I had ideas I wanted to experiment with. Some crafts, this blog, a few emails. I even braved my Facebook page. (Which is always a little daunting to me!)

I found that I did these things easily because I had no agenda and no expectations of the outcome. Right now, I am enjoying the words coming through me and just watching what I type, with no evaluation. I guess it is the gift of having no agenda. I think I will do more self-Reiki and ask to experience the feeling of having no agenda more often. It is a peaceful way to spend the day.