Energy

I recently came out to meditate in nature. There is a beautiful garden maintained by the council near where I live. It is a quiet public space, a local’s well-kept secret. The weather in the UK has not been great this year, and spring started a bit later, so rhododendrons and azaleas were in bloom for what seemed like forever; I loved it. I meditated among the flowers, listening to the bumblebees buzzing around me. The minute I closed my eyes, I not only felt the garden's energy, I saw it. I sat on my mat, connected to an energy with a greenish hue, with my palms open and a slight smile on my face, taking it all in. The green was greener when I opened my eyes, and a bumblebee had settled in my mat. Another time, I would have tried to remove it. Today, I was aware of being in its habitat and felt happy that it was safe enough to come near and share its space with me. I have become so fascinated with the importance of energy as a base for existence. In any living body, there is an immanent energy, which most ancient traditions called life force or creative spirit, and in psychobiology, it is now known as sentience. Sentience is the energy of quanta manifested as particles, then atoms, then molecules and cells, which are now believed to be the architects of life. There is also no avoiding omnipresent energy: the cosmic force that “breathes life into things” or the neutral, contentless consciousness that remains unmanifested until it is observed. Whichever philosophy we adhere to, energy is vital to all of them, even within the most scientistic view. In my exploration of the energetic body, I just finished some Reiki training. Usui Reiki is an energy-channelling practice that originated in nineteenth-century Japan from the precepts of Tendai Buddhism; it provides a belief-agnostic and easy-to-access framework to connect Rei (universal source energy) with Ki (life force energy). The emphasis of Reiki is to regain well-being by surrendering the mind to the innate healing ability of the body. Reiki practitioners do not get healing powers; they get attuned to the nameless source that connects us all, and through contemplative techniques and simple rituals, their awareness rises, and they can channel it for the greatest good of the receiver. This requires a leap of faith, an intention from both the channel and the receiver to trust the energy to go where it is needed most, allowing the body to self-adjust and use it most beneficially. For me, it is still difficult to give in to such deep spiritual trust, and I have no definite purpose for my Reiki training, but the awareness that arose after the attunements and the sense of connection to a boundless light that is at the same time within and without has been extremely comforting. The most significant power of Reiki, however, is to be able to share it with others. During the weekend workshops, sharing Reiki with total strangers opened up a level of connection and understanding that could not be achieved through cognitive communication. The surrender of the mind opens the way to our cellular sentience and to the sense of meaning and purpose that arises from regaining our relative position within the greater whole. We all have a right to such a beautiful gift, so if you feel moved by my words, I invite you to explore your energetic body.  

References

1.      Reiki training materials provided by myspiritualbutterfly.com