| Just for Today… Be Grateful Usui Sensei gave his students the five Reiki Precepts. The key message of the Precepts is that we aim to live in a worry and anger free state and every Reiki student is encouraged to live by these Precepts. You learn to be grateful for what you already have in your life and regularly count your blessings. This in itself brings about peace and a sense of wellbeing. Remember, if you always focus on what you don’t have, you will create feelings of not having enough. This brings about a constant state of lack. As I write this, we are surrounded by the threat of a killer virus. This has brought about a major change in the way we live our daily lives. To keep ourselves healthy we have to think more about what we do and how we do it. We are much more aware of our own and others behaviour. As we have spent much more time indoors either alone or with our families, this has given us time to review what our lives are about, what we really consider to be important and perhaps, what we want to change. For me, this time has given me an opportunity to look for those simple things in life that make me happy! Here are a few of them that I am extremely grateful for: – My family – Fresh air – Blue sky – Birds that visit my garden – Green grass – The beauty of nature – Clear night sky – the moon and stars – Fresh drinking water And many, many more things. What is gratitude? The definition of gratitude is ‘the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness’. (Oxford Dictionary). The World around us can be hard and mean at times. Plenty of people are suffering in one way or another. Everyone has their own disappointment, regret, hardship and obstacles to overcome. However, we are all blessed with life each day and for that we need to be grateful. What benefits does gratitude give you? There have been many studies carried out and there is scientific evidence that being grateful has many positive effects on your holistic wellbeing including emotional, social, personality, career and health. Some of these benefits include: – More positive emotions – Better relationships and friendships – Increased optimism – Improved decision making – Reduced blood pressure – Better sleep – Reduced tension and stress To read more about the benefits see https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-gratitude-research-questions/ |
| Develop your ability to be grateful – your daily Reiki ritual Each day upon waking, or before you go to bed at night, take a few minutes to write down a minimum of three and up to ten things that you recognise as being beautiful and that you are really thankful for. Here is an example: I am so grateful for: – Being alive today and in good health. – Having a home to live in. – My partner / spouse who is always on my side and provides me with security, love and support. – Being able to feed and clothe myself and my family. – Clear running water that comes straight from the tap. – All the animals that appear in my life. – The countryside that brings colour and grounding to my life. – The amazing work that I am able to do each day and be rewarded for. – All the gadgets that make my life easier. – My comfortable bed that allows me to relax and refresh every night. MY PERSONAL ACTION PLAN Start writing my daily gratitude list every day.At least three things I am grateful for.Send Reiki to my list.Spend a little time in peaceful meditation and review the things on your list. Think about how each item really makes you feel. You will gradually start to notice a difference in how you feel about life, the people in it, those you meet, how you deal with things differently. Most importantly, enjoy the journey! |