Sit with your suffering

Meditation has had a huge increase in popularity in recent years thanks to the medical community appreciating it’s benefits and it’s increased media exposure.

Once associated with religion, meditation is now considered a practice in its own right as a way to help clear and focus the mind for better mental health. However, much of the narrative associated with meditation right now paints it as an easy and pleasant practice, something that is enjoyable to do.

For this reason, many people try meditation and when it isn’t either pleasant or easy, they give up.

The truth is meditation is like the rest of life – sometimes it’s easy and pleasant and sometimes it feels like it is challenging and brutal!

So why engage in a practice that can feel so difficult?

A large part of the opportunity meditation brings is to sit with our life experiences, however they show up.

Sometimes our life experiences are easy and sometimes they are difficult, painful, full emotion, conflict, uncertainty and worry. Meditation offers a way to gently acknowledge then move beyond those experiences to the serenity within.

It allows us to be with the outer circumstances so that they might dissolve and we become unaffected by them.

Let go of historic beliefs

Instead of trying to push away difficult experiences, we get to see them for what they are, a creation of our thinking and an opportunity to let go of historic thoughts and beliefs.

This isn’t necessarily easy work! It requires an acceptance of how things are, commitment, faith, trust in our abilities and a desire to be free.  It’s about stepping up and confronting what is difficult for us instead of repressing it, wanting it to be different or numbing ourselves with distraction.

Meditation offers us the opportunity to sit with our suffering, and in doing so move beyond it to openness and clarity.

It isn’t therefore the meditation that is difficult but our lack of present moment presence makes life feel difficult; and meditation is one of the best ways I know to develop that presence.

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My name is Becci Godfrey, and I am a Reiki Master Healer and Teacher. I have been practising healing all my life, and have been a Reiki Practitioner since 2010.

My passion in life has always been healing and I am always looking for new ways to share that passion.

To find out more about me and the services I offer, check out the rest of this website and feel free to contact me if you have anything you would like to ask!

Why is Reiki taught in levels?

Reiki, the Japanese practice of spiritual development is a path to enlightenment and knowing your true self. When we all at some level know who we are, why is this teaching broken into the three levels rather than taught in one go?

Kensho

[ken-sho] Japanese

(n.) the zen experience or enlightenment, when one’s own nature is seen for what it truly is.

Having taught Reiki now for 7 years, I have first hand experience of watching the awareness of Reiki and the consciousness of the general population rise. I would still expect however, if I was to take a person off the street and talk to them about enlightenment, to get mostly a blank stare.

Enlightenment is a concept that most people know about, but not necessarily one that they have had a perpetual lasting experience of – yet.

By breaking the teaching of Reiki into three distinct stages, Usui gave students the opportunity to learn the practice in bite size pieces – with time between each course to go away and practice so they could develop their awareness and their skills.

Reiki is taught in 3 main levels

In each course, a new concept is shared. In Level 1, you learn about the history of Reiki, that it is a spiritual not a religious practice, the Reiki Precepts and that through become aware of the self, we are able to balance and harmonise our own energy.

In Level 2, you learn 3 of the 4 Reiki symbols, for deepening our awareness of ourselves. In level 2 additional meditation practices are introduced to deepen the ability to stay in a Reiki state perpetually, and being a vessel for greater levels of energy when working on ourselves and others.

In Level 3, we learn the 4th Reiki symbol. The invitation of this symbol is to commit to having a permanent awareness of our perpetual consciousness. This means training ourselves to put our attention on who we are rather than drift off into thought and distraction. At this level, we become a deeply healing influence on others simply through our very nature. We know that we and the cosmos are one and that the path to true enlightenment is to more and more discover who we are.

As you can see, for many to jump to the third level, without the other two in between, would be too much of a leap without the practice time and time to let go of our own misconceptions and beliefs.

Those that choose to go through the levels report a deepening of their understanding, energy flow and resourcefulness with each level.

Whilst none of them are necessary to be enlightened – some people are already – for most a pathway and a set of techniques to help them to realise their true potential facilitates the journey and gives it meaning and structure.

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My name is Becci Godfrey, and I am a Reiki Master Healer and Teacher. I have been practising healing all my life, and have been a Reiki Practitioner since 2010.

My passion in life has always been healing and I am always looking for new ways to share that passion.

To find out more about me and the services I offer, check out the rest of this website and feel free to contact me if you have anything you would like to ask!

Reiki Day – 13th July 2019

Reiki means Universal Life Force energy. It is a Japanese spiritual healing practice for body and mind.

Reiki is good for:
🙏 Supporting the body to heal and stay healthy
🙏 Letting go of anxiety and worrysome thoughts
🙏 Recovery from short and long-term health conditions
🙏 Coping with chronic life issues
🙏 Dealing with loss and bereavement
🙏 Letting go of the past
🙏 Embracing the future
🙏 Opening up to new possibilities
🙏 Supporting yourself and the ones you love.

On Saturday 13th July I will be running a Reiki Day at Mark Cross Community Centre, Mark Cross, East Sussex from 10.15am to 4pm.

In this quiet and relaxing day, led by Reiki Master Teacher Becci Godfrey, we will explore meditation, practical self-healing techniques and the giving and receiving of Reiki.

Mark Cross Community Centre

This day is perfect for anyone with a new or ongoing interest in Reiki. It is equally open to those that have already learnt and wish to deepen their practice and those that would like to experience it for the first time.

Crystals will be available for purchase courtesy of Harmony Crystals.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/reiki-day-tickets-62305650879

Any questions, get in touch!

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Meta-study finds Reiki is better than placebo

Some research published in 2017 suggests that Reiki is better than a placebo and figures show it has broad potential as a complimentary health therapy.

Published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, the metastudy looked at 13 studies that explored the efficacy of a Reiki therapist versus a sham Reiki Therapist (an actor) in a range of environments.

The criteria to be included in the meta study was for studies that worked with “hands on Reiki”, ones that included a control group (a sham Reiki practitioner), studies that were published in peer reviewed journals and those that had a sample size of 20(+) participants per sample group (with a couple of exceptions).

Studies that were included looked at the efficacy of Reiki in helping with relaxation, dealing with chronic illness – particularly in dealing with chronic pain and depression and where people are in acute circumstances such as pain relief during a medical procedure.

The meta study found that receiving a Reiki attunement produced a statistically significant difference in wellbeing outcomes for a range of conditions, compared to someone that had not been attuned and non-intervention control groups. Where is it didn’t show any significant benefit was in acute pain circumstances and in improving health conditions such as fibromyalgia.

It lead the researchers to conclude:
“Reiki is a safe and gentle “complementary” therapy that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal body and mind. It has potential for broader use in management of chronic health conditions, and possibly in postoperative recovery.”

To find out more the metastudy can be read here, to see what the recorded benefits are.

Rapid Rest and Repair Technique

Wow, I was tired today! Being around kids can be wonderful, but it can also be exhausting!

Just when I thought I didn’t have any more energy to give, I had to take part in some exercise with the kids again, so what to do?

The Rapid Rest and Repair Technique is something I have developed from my years and years of Reiki Practice.

It takes just 2-3 minutes, and if done without distraction or interruption, can be intensely healing and rejuvenating.

Seeing as a couple of friends of mine also told me they were exhausted today, I thought I would share, in case it was of benefit to others too.

• Sit comfortably on a chair (sitting is best, lying would encourage you to fall asleep)
• Close your eyes and take your attention inwards to the inside of you and your body
• Instead of trying to fight being tired, let all your awareness and energy flow to where it is are needed most – this might be shoulders, back, legs muscles, gut – wherever your body feels is the best for the energy and awareness to go
• Really feel and listen with your body to what your body is saying and sharing with you
• You may wish to focus on one area, or a few areas of need one after the other
• If the mind wanders, bring it back to being aware of the whole of you and where your attention and energy are needed the most.*
• After a short while, you will be aware that your energy levels have risen back up and/or this technique is no longer needed and you can carry on with your day.

* Disengaging the story and mind chatter around why you are tired and how you feel about being tired is critical to moving into a new energised state.

Short term solution

This technique is a short term solution to get you through your day and not a replacement for scheduling sufficient down time and proper rest. It is useful when you actively want to take part in something but feel like you haven’t the energy for it. In the exercise the body redistributes the energy it has to take part in the activities you want to do (great for when you have kids and you can’t stop). However, this redistribution must be rebalanced at a later date – preferably that day, as a energy reserve that is drawn on more than it is filled will soon become empty (take it from me, I had ME for 10+) years.

Image: Creative Commons

By listening to yourself fully and completely, your body will thank you for it and will be very clear at the end of the exercise whether you absolutely need to stop now and rest properly, or where you were perhaps letting your mind chatter get the better of you and you had more energy than you realised.

Have a play with this exercise and see how you get on. Doing so will help you to become more body aware and more aware of how you are able to affect your body with your awareness more than you may have realised.

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My name is Becci Godfrey, and I am a Reiki Master Healer and Teacher. I have been practising healing all my life, and have been a Reiki Practitioner since 2010.

My passion in life has always been healing and I am always looking for new ways to share that passion.

To find out more about me and the services I offer, check out the rest of this website and feel free to contact me if you have anything you would like to ask!

5 ways to experience Reiki throughout the day

Once you have been attuned to Reiki, there are simply hundreds of ways you can experience Reiki permanently in your life. Here are my 5 favourite ways to be connected to Reiki energy all day long.

1. Self treatment

   I LOVE self treating, and unless I have a very unusually early start I will do a minimum of 20 minutes each morning, more likely 1hr. I can’t imagine starting my day without it now. I set my alarm to wake up 1hr before I need to get up to fit it in, and do it in bed before I get up. It’s part of my daily self care practice, not just to set me up for the day, but to clear historic stress. Positive change happens as a result of consistent positive behaviour, so my self treatment practice is for me, part of my personal development programme.

2. Reiki your food

   Before you eat anything, you can positively charge up your food with Reiki. Breakfast for me is a smoothie, so I spend a few seconds putting Reiki into that smoothie as I am making it. It’s a small gesture, but each small thing we do to support ourselves adds up. We can also charge up out water bottles or there are water carafes you can buy with words like “Peace” and “Harmony”.

3. Live by the 5 Reiki Precepts

   Just for today, do not be angry

   Just for today, do not worry

   Just for today, be grateful

   Just for today, work hard

   Just for today, be kind to all living things.

   Every student is trained in the 5 Reiki Precepts and is invited to live by them. Mikao Usui, the founder of modern Reiki Healing, believed that in order for anyone to practice Reiki and transfer healing energy to others, they must have first taken responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. He also realised the importance of a person’s participation in the healing process. The five Reiki Precepts give students a framework to come back to time and time again, when perhaps the ego would like to indulge in complaining, frustration and worrying.

4. Have a daily meditation practice

   On top of self treatments, I take time each day to close my eyes and focus inwards. Meditation is different to self treatments, it is an opportunity to let go of the chatter of the mind and as a result see life with greater clarity. I aim to do at least 10 minutes a day, but if I am busy of my life is stressful, I will do considerably more. My favourite thing to do is to focus on being aware of the Reiki space – the infinite space in which we exist and where source energy comes from.

5. Crystals

   I love working with crystals and have collected many over the years! I will either work with them when doing a self treatment, wear them or charge up my crystal healing grid on a daily basis. I find that crystals help me focus my healing energies and have many stories of how they have had a positive impact on my life. My favourites at the moment are Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Quartz and Rhodonite – though I will pick what I feel like I need on a daily basis depending on what is going on with my life at the time.

Here are just 5 daily commitments I make to my Reiki practice, ones that have become deeply integrated into my practice.

Which daily habits do you have? And how do they serve you? Feel free to leave your comments in the box below!

The Reiki 21 Day Challenge

Once trained in Reiki and our initial 21 days clearing is over, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of living and forget to prioritise our practice.

This event is designed to remind you of the simplicity and joy of practising Reiki, and perhaps teach you a few things along the way.

This event takes place on Facebook. You can register your interest here. Once there, simply click on the “Interested” button to receive the updates in your notifications, and to sign up to receive the content each day.

Enjoy!

Becci

Founder, Reiki 21 Day Challenge

Reiki and pets

For the first 21 days of July I am sharing inspiring videos, posts and other resources to help people practice Reiki self-treatment treatment every day, to benefit themselves and others.

Today I want to talk about the impact Reiki has on our pets.

Amy often hangs out when I am working with clients

It it is my experience that animals love a person that is energetically clear as they are pleasant to be around. Shortly after I learnt Reiki I found animals, particularly dogs would plant themselves at my feet requesting a treatment.

Animals are hugelty connected to their own awareness and an awareness of the energy around them. They are therefore, often excellent barometers of our health and how we are.

I remember returning home from my Reiki Third Degree course to be looked at quizzically by one of our cats Daisy. Clearly my energy was different and I looked strange. Another time I was giving a Reiki treatment to a client in the garden and our newest pony Dainty came down into the paddock next to us and spotted us there. She spent a full five minutes running backwards and forwards, with a highly energetic and inquisitive trot, as if she had never seen anything like this before. It seemed to delight and fascinate her at the same time, a behaviour she has never repeated since.

Self-treatment partners

My my students tell me that their pets often come and sit with them when they do their self practice. I think this is lovely, as clearly the animal is enjoying whatever is going on.

Reiki for pets is also very enjoyable. Unlike humans, pets are often very clear in what they need, and unafraid to ask for it.

Daisy puts a paw on me

I’ve also received Reiki from a pet. Just this week Daisy reached out and put a paw on me and whenever I am sick our cat Amy will come and lie on me – which is the only time she ever does that.

What I love about animals is they clearly feedback how effective Reiki is. Just yesterday our sweet pony Squirrel came in from the field in severe pain. She was waving a leg in the air and trembling all over. I instantly asked if she would like healing and she gestured yes. Within seconds she was yawning, something horses do when they experience a release of tension. It didn’t stop the pain, we still needed a vet to come and look at her, but it did give her some much needed support and now she knew I was aware of how she was feeling.

Reiki has so many applications, for this Reiki 21 Day Challenge, I invite you to share your Reiki practice with your pets. By that I mean do your self treatment in their presence if they’re happy for you to. One of the greatest gifts you can give your pets and the people around you, is to be completely healthy and whole.

About the Reiki 21 Day Challenge

Once trained in Reiki and our initial 21 days clearing is over, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of living and forget to prioritise our practice.

This event is designed to remind you of the simplicity and joy of practising Reiki, and perhaps teach you a few things along the way.

This event takes place on Facebook. You can register your interest here. Once there, simply click on the “Interested” button to receive the updates in your notifications, and to sign up to receive the content each day.

Enjoy!

Becci

Founder, Reiki 21 Day Challenge

Reiki 21 Day Challenge

Earlier this year, I ran a Reiki 21 Day Challenge, to inspire people to commit to a daily practice to have a positive impact on their life.

The feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, with many requests to repeat the exercise – so here it is – another Reiki 21 Day Challenge!!

Why?

Reiki is a hands on healing technique that channels unlimited amounts of universal life force energy. This intelligent and positive energy helps to re-balance us when we have become run down by stress and stuck due to trauma. It is gentle, non-invasive and aside from investing in getting taught how to do Reiki and receive the attunements – Reiki is FREE!!

Yet, once trained in Reiki and our initial 21 days clearing is over, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of living and forget to prioritise our practice.

This event is designed to remind you of the simplicity and joy of practising Reiki, and perhaps teach you a few things along the way.

This event takes place on Facebook. You can register your interest here. Simply click on the “Interested” button to receive the updates in your notifications, and to sign up to receive the content each day.

I will be posting videos, articles, my favourite pieces of music and ways we can apply Reiki to benefit ourselves, our lives and others.

I very much would love you to join others from all over the world to enjoy the benefits of this calm and relaxing technique.

If you have any questions, simply pop it in the comments box below and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Best wishes,

Becci

Founder, Reiki 21 Days

 

Gassho Meditation

Gassho meditation is a meditation practice that Usui Sensei practiced as part of his personal meditation practice, twice a day. Gassho means “two hands coming together” and is the equivalent of the prayer position in western culture.

The purpose of meditation is to become your Self more fully so that you may drop attachments and let go of attachment and resistance. Through a regular meditation practice we are able to reconnect to source, have a more truthful relationship with our Self/soul and have a more truthful relationship with the planet and others. The benefits of this include allowing the body and mind to have a chance to rest and heal, resulting in a clearer and more peaceful mind, a more centred and relaxed body and more presence, love and connection to the current moment.

How to perform a Gassho meditation

When doing Gassho meditation find a quiet space and time to sit down comfortably. This might be first thing in the morning, after your morning chores such as the school run but before work, before lunch, after dinner or before bed.

Close your eyes gently and place your hands together in the prayer position about 10cms in front of your chest. Gently have your palms touching about level with your heart. When you are settled, bring your awareness to the point where the two middle fingers meet and allow that to be a gentle focal point. If you find your mind wanders, simply return your attention to where your middle fingers meet and bring yourself back.

It is recommended that you practice Gassho meditation for 20 minutes twice a day. If you find it difficult to hold your hands up for the whole time, it is permissible to let them rest in your lap, but continuing to keep your palms and fingers touching.

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 This blog post forms part of the Reiki 21 Day Challenge – 21 days of self treatment, and meditation starting from 1st January 2018. Join in by following this event on Facebook, and taking part in a 21 day healing journey to bring more peace, love and harmony to yourself and the world around you.

Enjoy!

Who is Reiki for?

Young or young at heart, anyone can experience Reiki

Reiki is suitable for anyone. The young, the still young at heart, happy people, sad people, those that are well and those feeling below par.

You don’t need much of an excuse to experience Reiki as having all that the Universe can offer is your birthright! 

Most people come to support themselves through difficult times or let go of an old pattern. Some come for simple wellbeing. 

Those that learn Reiki for themselves find it helps them stay balanced and deal with life stress, help with sleeping and gives them a positive spiritual practice that enriches their life.

I like Reiki because it helps me to be who I am fully.

What’s your reason for doing Reiki?