Expecting the Best is a Choice

I'm inspired by a new book this week: The Essential Dalai Lama. 

My aunt gave it to me nearly two years ago and I only started reading it now. The funny thing is my Reiki class this weekend  prompted me to pick it up again. Usui, the founder of Reiki, was heavily influenced by his Buddhist background. I was curious to find out more. Training my mind should come in handy, I'm your classic air sign and the hamster wheel in my head is always spinning! I could really use a mental holiday! 

One of the basic themes in Buddhism is the source of  suffering and mental anguish in particular. He talks about how we can have all of the physical and material comforts we need, and  still be sad, anxious or stressed. The Dalai Lama mentioned several fears which can lead to anxiety and I related to one of them in particular: Fear of the Unknown. For example, will I like the new job, the new city, or as a teenager, if I would like my new school. Will I enjoy it, etc? 

Worrying about the future quickly leads to stress and anxiety. If these feelings are intense enough, they might keep us from trying something new (or from enjoying it). Though we might feel safe in our comfort zone, it won't take us to new or exciting places. A more effective strategy would be to expect the best in any situation and trust that you'll be able to handle whatever life brings to your doorstep. And who knows, you might even enjoy it!  Imagine that  =) 

We can also ask your angels for help with this. Try asking them to put feelings of joy and enthusiasm in your heart and solar plexus. Archangel Jophiel can also help us connect to that place of wonder where we see the potential for a beautiful life, instead of one plagued by fear and worry. I also give myself Reiki in my solar plexus, though it would also be possible to ask Archangel Raphael to heal away any fears. Try it! 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

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Image Updated: www.canva.com (2020)

Beautiful Reiki Lights

Yesterday was the first day of my Reiki Master training. I loved it, so much that I might change my name to Reikina someday (only kidding there!). We were attuned to the Usui Master Symbol which pretty much equates to a huge dose of light being channeled into your body. It comes in very handy if you live in a gray and cloudy city like London. In the absence of natural sun, a burst of Reiki Light can really cheer you up. Last night I felt brighter overall and I saw more white light in my 3rd eye than I usually do. I am curious to see what happens when the sun goes down tonight. Today it is too sunny to tell the difference.

During the attunement I also felt my third eye pop open and saw my guides, Archangel Jophiel the angel of beauty, a beautiful nature scene with what could have been fairies as well as a bright light. Violet and blue hues also made an appearance today. I also sensed art, beauty and even abstract art and color. I think this artistic angle was linked to Archangel Jophiel and to one of the Tibetan Reiki Symbols, which we learned about later that day. The symbol reminded me of a splash of color on a white canvas. It reminded me of Kandinsky, the Russian artist. I also noticed my shadow side during the attunement. I began to see shadows mixing with light and at first it made me uneasy. Then I noticed that if I move about, the light reaches the part that had been in the shadows.  I took that to mean that this next level will shed some Reiki Light on things that I have not dealt with yet. And also that it can bring light to just about any situation. I do like the thought of that. 

Yesterday was just the first day of training. I have homework to practice and then I'm going back in four weeks for another round. The day lasted eight hours so it was a lot to take in and it helps to have time to let it sink in and practice. The course ends at the end of May. When we're done with the Reiki Master course we can teach others, though I feel like I still have a lot to learn before I start teaching.  

What I find most intriguing though, is that the word Master should translate as Teacher. In the west we have clung to this Reiki Master term which implies that you know all there is to know about a topic. Far from it, I think the Reiki Master course gives us more to tap into, but I am far from mastering Reiki or healing. That comes with experience. Based on   two of the symbols that we were attuned to, I think Reiki Light attunement is a better description for what I experienced yesterday. One of those symbols I saw as pure light, the other as beauty. Reiki Light and Beauty. I am not going to invent a new label for myself but as always, I am trying to describe the experience.

Love to hear your thoughts! Also, this gorgeous painting was created by Wassily Kandinsky, one of my all-time favourite artists. Follow this link for more art.

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

Wondering What Comes Next ...

I went back to the Kabbalah Centre a couple months ago and I enjoy the classes. They talk about angels, astrology, intuition etc. For some reason it is taking me a little while to understand how the system itself fits into my life. What purpose does it have? How am I going to use it. 

Hmmmm ... 

Archangel Michael tells me to go back to the drawing board. What do I want to accomplish in my life. What kind of balance and progress do I want to make and to approach Kabbalah as a tool to help me get there. I'm thinking back to my early days in the Kabbalah Centre and a lot of the things we covered were about goal setting, objectives and being proactive. If you want something, someone, or even to be something - go get it. It won't fall into your lap. We were also taught to be aware of those little lazy or fearful inclinations that get in the way. Persistence is king. 

The past few weeks I've been missing structure in my life. Maybe that is what I need to start cultivating again. I feel the need to make plans again. Now that I'm practically done with my book I have to find a new project. I think I have the topic for my 2nd book but I don't want to jump into it right away. Will give it a breather - maybe it is time I start doing person-to-person healings again.  =)

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Just for Today, Love Thy Neighbour

Last week I was bummed to miss my Zohar class because the topic was "words, thoughts and how they can make you sick". The teaser email we got before the lesson even mentioned cancer and I thought - WOW - that is right up my alley. Especially as I'm putting the final touches on my Self-Healing & Cancer book. But it was a friend's birthday so I missed class for a celebratory karaoke dinner instead. This week's class was also about a healing on a different level. 

But first, what is the Zohar?  The book of light, as it is sometimes referred to, is a channeled book from the 1300's that Kabbalists study. The class is offered weekly by the Kabbalah Centre. One one level, the Zohar offers a symbolic interpretation of the Bible that I find fascinating. For example, Moses leading the slaves out of Egypt is about the human struggle to break free of the ego. Egypt is a symbol for the Ego and we are slaves to all its tricks: materialism, laziness, doubt, unhealthy competition, etc. 

I am not entirely sure how, but the Zohar also links to astrology because each week has an energy to it. As far as I can tell the energy represents a little aspect of our ego that we are provoked on, giving us a chance to "win" by doing the "right" thing. This week the energy is about reconciliation and making amends on a soul level. Yesterday we talked about relationships that have fallen victim to 'bad blood' or 'jealousy' or 'reactivity' as well as grudges and the general feeling that 'we don't like a person because...'

When we think unhappy or unfriendly thoughts about a person we send a piece of our energy there way, and that piece of energy doesn't have a nice feel to it. On an energy healing level, you could say that you're sending them bad vibes and that can have a negative impact on them as well as a karmic effect on you. From a Kabbalistic POV the idea is that a little piece of our soul/self breaks off and goes in their direction. If we do this a lot, we start to become unbalanced because we've lost too many bits of ourself. 

This week is about making amends with that person. The teacher suggested that we balance out the karma by doing an act of kindness or sharing with someone. That starts to fill us up again with friendly energy. We also need to start to recognise the consequences of sending so much bad blood out into the world and how it can wreak havoc on your own health and wellbeing. Visualise a little piece of you sticking to every person that you've had a misunderstanding with. Those pieces go far and wide, you lose some of your own energy and send it out into the world. 

The challenge this week, according to the Zohar, is to really Love Thy Neighbour. Standing by while our soul and/or our energy splinters is not a good thing for anyone to go through. From a healing point of view I also think there comes a time when we have to understand we're all in this together and a reactive, angry world isn't one where anyone wants to live. It reminds me of a post I wrote a while ago on whether its really possible to love everyone and "even the politicians? geez" as Ram Dass joked recently. 

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Note: "Just for today" is a reference to the Reiki principles that encourage us to live in the moment and do what is right, just for a day. I haven't had coffee "seven of the ten" today's these two weeks and it feels great! LOL

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

The Joys of Traveling Light

This week I realised that I hang onto too much junk that I do not need or use. Books that are half-read, clothing that I haven't worn in ages. Keepsakes that could have gone to the trash long ago. Strangely enough, I also had lots of unused toiletries - courtesy of the Product of the Year Awards in 2011, 2012 and 2013 - the winners get a goody bag, and I still have a lot of the goodies! Its time to start using them  =) 

In two months I am moving out, putting my things in storage and traveling for the summer. When I am back in August I'll find a new place to live and move in again. Do I really need to take all of this excess baggage with me to my new apartment? Not really. There are things that have sentimental value and I do want to keep them. Others cost and arm and a leg and I don't want to throw them away. Then there's the gray area in between - things that I haven't used but might need in the future. What to do?

This week I went through my cupboards and my closet, pulling out clothes and books that could be donated to Oxfam. It was really hard to do. We get attached to things, at least I do, and I hesitated with a lot of them. Like a sweater dress I bought at Banana Republic four years ago. I haven't worn it in ages, and when I do, I don't like how it looks. Why keep it? For some reason I wanted to, but then decided to give it away. I also threw out two big bags full of trash.

Funny thing is today I feel so much better about my apartment. It feels lighter. I feel light. None of this was visible to begin with, it was all stashed away in cupboards and closets. Out of sight but somehow not out of mind. I think the same is true for our emotional and psychological baggage. We might think it is neatly out of the way, buried in a corner of your subconscious. It still weighs on us and if we do a little self-cleansing and purifying, we will feel much better! 

I may need to do some of that as well. Reiki helps, as do journaling and guided meditations. I might look up a few cleansing and realising techniques. If you have any please let me know what they are! 

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Healing Addictions through the Sacral Chakra

A couple months ago I wrote a post on smoking and why its sooo hard to quit (read it here). I am not a smoker but my grandfather was and he only stopped when he was in a wheelchair, too sick to buy cigarettes for himself, and no one else would buy them for him. By then he had emphysema and was on oxygen. 

In his defence, he started smoking decades before we knew it was bad for us - similar to people who put asbestos in their walls, only to find out later that it was bad for them. It is easier to take asbestos out of a building than it is to take the craving/addiction out of a human being. Some of my classmates from healing school work as addiction counselors and it is an important job they do. 

So I was very happy to notice that my post on smoking has gone viral this month!  In it I explore different reasons why a person might find it hard to quit and some of the tricks their mind-body plays on them. For example, when you crave a cigarette is is really the nicotine you are after or is it something else? How can we substitute that something else with a healthy option?

In healing school we also learned that addictions are linked to imbalances in the Sacral Chakra, which has to do with our appetites and desires in life. The sacral chakra is located just below the navel (your tummy). As well as willpower and counseling, addicts might find it helpful to try a good Sacral Chakra meditation. 

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Thank you, Regina 

Image: canva.com (updated 2023)