When working with me, some clients stay for a healing journey, some dip into the waters once or several times and are satisfied, and some are unsettled in their response to Reiki treatment and healing work – the temperature of change is not quite right for them at this time. I welcome all, whether for a one-time swim through the pools we find during Reiki and healing sessions together or for a longer journey into the light and shadows of self-healing. Yet the question is often raised and discussed in healing circles:
Why don’t we all run toward this wonderful thing called healing and dive right in? What makes us hesitate?
First, let’s look at the meaning of healing.
There is a written definition of healing that says it is a process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. The process of returning to health; the restoration of structure and function of injured or diseased tissues. (fr. Oxford and Medical Dictionaries.) These definitions parallel what we define as curing of a condition: restoration to a previous or perceived state of appropriate function. For instance, this limb was not broken to begin with, so “healing” is returning it to its unbroken state; curing it is the process – setting the bone, and healing is what the body does in response by repairing the tissue. The idea is that tissue was healthy to begin with, so healing is restoring it to that previous state. Medical healing takes time and energy as the body and its tissues regenerate and restore functionality in response to curative processes. Patients rest and heal, follow instructions, and work under the guidance of a medical professional.
Then there is the concept of healing – from the NCBI, this concept has emerged: “The operational definition that emerged from the concept analysis: Healing is a holistic, transformative process of repair and recovery in mind, body, and spirit resulting in positive change, finding meaning, and movement toward self-realization of wholeness, regardless of the presence or absence of disease.”
Now or later?
Based on the perception that life offers us the opportunity to create, expand and “change for the better,” conceptual healing is a process of moving forward and becoming more than we were. It takes commitment and courage yet the rewards are many. Being happy with yourself, expansion, new capacities and so much more space inside your own life to make it what you want it to be.
When the body is failing, repair is needed, and Reiki and healing practices can be a life boat for mind, body and spirit in stormy waters. Many are the clients who have experienced physical healing through medical means with no attendant support for mind and spirit and so they seek me out. Many are in the throws of swimming toward physical health through medical paths and feel the need for a natural complement. Reiki treatment meets each where they are.
Depending on the individual need for healing, client responses to Reiki and healing treatment are based on their individual hopes and expectations which are based upon their concept of healing, which is chosen from their needs. For some, healing means help me feel better now. For others, healing means let’s get to the root of this.
Discomfort with our present state is what drives us toward healing.
Whether from a broken bone or a broken heart, the length we are willing to travel in our healing journey to restore our discomfort to comfort is individual.
Conceptual healing involves changes in the self over time. We learn how to allow ourselves to change and to sit with the newness of our own changed responses and emotions during long-term work. Long-term, conceptual healing work is best approached by working with skilled healing practitioners who can provide the how, what and when of initiating these changes, create a safe space and offer guidance during the process.
The feeling of peacefulness and reduced stress levels that come with a single, simple Reiki session is welcomed differently as well. Going from a familiar level of higher stress to a lower one is a change. For many, one or several visits bring welcome relief. For some, this initial shift can be uncomfortable, even though healing and beneficial.
Healing takes many forms and the practitioner is there to help you navigate yours, whether long or short term!
All healing sessions, whether single or multiple, involve change..
How to proceed in healing work is a personal choice and a personal path. Do expect, however, a change in your state of being, a shift, a metamorphosis, a transformation. As Pamela Miles reminds us, “when you take care of your state, your state takes care of everything else.” As we take on the challenge of change within ourselves, changes will occur in our outer lives as well. We all change over time and life is not static. Conceptual healing is the inner process of internal, intentional, empowered change. It is something we learn and grow accustomed to – a life skill acquired through spiritual growth and embracing the process of moving forward and creating positive changes. Its results can be physical, mental/emotional, spiritual or any combination.
As I grow in my own pursuit of health and wholeness, my understanding, learning and skill level develops. As a result, I incorporate an expanding selection of healing tools and options for my clients. Look for deeper conversations around why you are seeking Reiki and healing with me at this time in your life so that we can identify your healing intentions and craft the Reiki and healing treatment you are looking for in your work with me. I look forward to supporting your journey and meeting your needs, whether in the immediate present or for the long term.
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