The last 11 months have certainly been
an incredibly challenging time for many
around the world. Many know loved ones,
family members, friends or even friends
of friends, that have been adversely affected by Covid-19. The stress and anxiety experienced by many during lockdown has felt overwhelming and it has taken its toll on emotional and mental well-being.
People’s mental health has been affected by changes to their normal way of living, including physical restrictions to our daily lives, feeling isolated, and loneliness especially when not having people to share space with.
Personally, I have found it difficult to deal with the lack of physical contact with family as well as friends and peers. I certainly have learnt the true value of a hug, it's absolutely priceless! Like many, I have missed my children and grandchildren, especially the new arrival during lockdown and the opportunities to meet him have been very few, thank God for Zoom and FaceTime!
My daily self-care practice has been instrumental in supporting me to remain calm and grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reiki sets out five philosophical principles to help us live a healthier life:
· Just for today, do not worry
· Just for today, do not anger
· Just for today, honour your parents, teachers, and elders
· Just for today, earn your living honestly
· Just for today, show gratitude to every living thing
The words ‘just for today’ can help during these unprecedented times. It’s not saying don’t ever worry again but ‘just for today’. This helps us to be incredibly gentle with ourselves, if you can practice the ‘do not worry’ or ‘do not anger’, in fact all aspects of the principles, just applying what we can during these difficult times, one day at a time, can help. When emotions get the better of us and we have a bad day, acknowledge that the feelings are ‘just for today’ and tomorrow is a clean slate, and we can try again to achieve calm and happiness.
I find practicing gratitude also supports my well-being. Each morning and evening I find at least 5 things that I am grateful for, big or small. It can be as simple as appreciating a friend who phoned and made me smile or a hug with someone in my bubble, a beautiful walk for exercise or a fun online exercise class. When we start to appreciate the small, wonderful moments in our lives, we start to notice more and more. Lockdown can become a little less daunting if we can find happiness in our day.
At the start of each day, I have been able to take time for my morning Reiki practice which has enabled me to care for myself and restore balance, setting myself up for the day ahead. It’s been my means of first bringing calm to my life and then being able to reach out to others with distant Reiki during these challenging times.
While face-to-face Reiki is currently not possible, now more than ever, Distance Reiki is proving to be such a good way to connect with others. I offer Distance Reiki sessions to support you particularly during lockdown isolation and the ongoing restrictions. Currently it feels like our lives have suddenly been interrupted and put-on hold. We need to draw on techniques to help ground, stabilize and bring a sense of calm into our lives; Reiki helps us do this.
Permit Reiki to support you and your family during challenging times. It will help you achieve greater peace and deal with life’s experiences with greater ease. Who knows when you will have to face the next difficult obstacle, but perhaps Reiki can support you the next time you do.