Reiki For Dummies - Nina L. Paul

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      Cultivating a state of appreciation helps develop humility because you’re acknowledging that you’re dependent on help from other people and spirit.

      Do your work

      Work is how you connect with the world around you and provide for the exchange of resources, commonly called money, that allows you to stay warm and well fed. Sometimes this Reiki Principle is stated as “work hard.”

      Here are some questions to ask yourself about this Reiki Principle:

       Am I honest in my dealings with my employers and clients? Am I working with integrity, or am I trying to cheat my employer?

       Am I following my true calling? Many people are searching to know what their best job is. The best job is doing the utmost with what you’re doing right now. If and when it’s time to change, your inner voice or a clear message from the universe will let you know. Following the nudging of your inner voice can be scary because doing what you know already is comfortable. (You can practice self-Reiki to curb these fears; see Chapter 10.)

       Am I honoring myself in my work? Working hard doesn’t mean abusing yourself. Knowing when to work late and when to rest is part of the art of living.

       Am I using my gifts and talents? Work is more than paid 9-to-5 employment. You might also volunteer, raise children, and keep a home. You may have many different skills and abilities to use at different times and situations. For example, you might be a gifted musician and play gigs on weekends.

      

The type of work you do isn’t as important as your attitude and dedication to the project. Remember: just for today.

      Be kind to others

      The ultimate test when practicing a spiritual life is acceptance of and love for yourself and others. Being kind acknowledges that spirit is present in every living being. I had the opportunity to visit Japan for a scientific conference before I studied Reiki. One thing that impressed me was that people I passed in the street bowed to me, and I bowed to them. I was told that the concept behind this practice is that “the spirit in me sees the spirit in you.”

      

As a starting point for having more compassion in your life, you can try these suggestions:

       Practice random acts of kindness. This great concept couples the act of compassion with humility. You need not tell anyone what you’ve done. An act of kindness can range from letting someone go ahead of you in the supermarket line, giving an anonymous gift, or maybe adding payment on expired parking meters.

       Listen to people. Showing love for others is giving them what they want, not what you think they want.

       Start by being kind to yourself. You can’t really love others if you don’t love yourself. By loving yourself, you also demonstrate to others how you expect to be treated.

      By practicing this and the other Reiki Principles, you begin to see all beings as manifestations of spirit. Even if you have petty disagreements with someone else, being kind means practicing from the deeper knowledge that love is behind all people, even if they’re not aware of it. The funny thing about cultivating loving thoughts is that they have a way of growing and making the world a place filled with love and light.

      

Love is the essence of Reiki.

      Upon reading the Reiki Principles earlier in this chapter, you may wonder what’s next. The principles are deceptively simple, but it takes effort to consistently live by these principles day in and day out. Spiritual growth is a lifelong process.

      SAYING IT IN JAPANESE

      The Reiki Principles were originally intended to be chanted in Japanese in the morning and in the evening.

      For the purists out there who want to hear or say the Reiki Principles in Japanese, check out www.reiki.org/learn-usui-principles-japanese. Soon you’ll be able to say the Reiki Principles in Japanese by yourself!

      

The first part of the Reiki Principles states “just for today.” Do the best you can to practice these principles today. Tomorrow will be another today for starting over.

      

Here are some ways to use the Reiki Principles on a daily basis:

       Remind yourself of the principles by reading them silently or aloud and thinking or writing about each of the five Reiki Principles at least once a day. (Learn to recite them in Japanese by consulting the nearby sidebar “Saying it in Japanese.”)

       Post a copy of the Reiki Principles in a prominent place in your home or office.

       Some Reiki people use the Gassho meditation (see Chapter 9), putting the hands in a prayer position in front of the heart, when reciting the Reiki Principles.

      The more time and effort you put into the Reiki Principles, the more peace and serenity you’ll find.

      Here are two other Reiki Principles from other versions that deserve some mention.

      

Use the version of the Reiki Principles that feels right to you.

      Just for today, be humble

      The principle “be grateful” is sometimes interpreted as “be humble.” I like this version because it reminds me to release my ego, which can prevent Reiki from flowing.

      

To be humble is to have humility, which is an absence of pride or arrogance. I see humility as recognizing your place in the universe: not too small and not too big. Here are a few other ways to look at this principle:

       To be humble is to understand that any gift or power that you possess comes from a higher source.

       To be humble is to know that you’re not better or worse than any other human being or Reiki practitioner.

      Having humility gives you a safe place to rest. You don’t need to be better than anyone, and you don’t need to compete. Realizing that you’re a channel for a higher power takes the need to control out of your hands. If you’re a Reiki practitioner, you have no control of how your energy work will help others. You do the work and leave the outcome to a higher power.

      I like this principle.

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