Giving Reiki to the Trees

April 16, 2016 by Yvonne

Reiki and Trees

Giving Reiki to the trees, even when they are healthy and green, can help keep them healthy and happy all year long.

Reiki and the Neighborhood Pine Tree

Years ago, an old pine tree stood not far from our house. Our neighbor, a little girl, used to spend many quiet afternoons sitting under that tree. Often, I saw her looking at the tree with love, as if the tree was a grandfather she respected and looked up to for solace. For years, she shared a quiet relationship with the old pine. Then she and her family moved away. The pine stood steadfast and, often, I sent it Reiki from my window. I watched as the energy around the tree changed and expanded whenever I gave it Reiki.

Because it was such a tall tree, it never went unnoticed by other neighbors passing by. Indeed, the tree seemed like a sentinel, keeping watch over our small neighborhood.

Then one night a storm plowed through our area and the winds buffeted the old pine so that it fell with a loud crash like a resounding bass note.

The next morning the tree lay on the ground, having fallen in a direction away from our homes, so no damage was done to our housing. There the tree lay, and I reached out and touched it, then began giving it Reiki, thinking that it still might be partly alive.

As the days passed, other neighbors “paid their respects” to the fallen tree. And one afternoon, as I came back from retrieving the mail from our mailbox, I noticed an older man standing before the tree, with his hat in his hands. He turned to me and said, “Fallen soldier.” Then he turned back to the tree and saluted it respectfully.

I knew the HOA would soon learn of the tree and call a company to saw it up and haul it away piece by piece. I dreaded that day, knowing it would be hard for me to hear the horrible squeal of the chain saw cutting through the tree’s trunk. But the area needed to be cleared.

One day, as I was driving back from the grocery store, I wound up right behind a truck with tree-cutting gear in the back of it. And I knew. They were coming for our pine. How I ended up right behind that truck on the very day, I didn’t know.

I parked and watched the two men get their saw and equipment ready. I knew they’d be there for a few minutes, so I went over to the tree for the last time and whispered, “Go to the light. Thank you for being here for us all of these years.” Then I gave it Reiki one last time.

The men started walking my way, so I turned and walked toward the house. But before I went inside, I turned once more to the tree, and what I saw amazed me. A layer of energy much like the ectoplasm we have come to associate with spirits, rose gently upward from the tree trunk and disappeared into the air. It was very light and soft.

Then I stepped inside the house. When the chain saw started up, I went into a room at the farthest part of the house so I couldn’t hear it. I meditated and gave myself some Reiki. As I did, silently, I wondered if the energy of the old pine could see me as it passed over our rooftop, rising higher into the sky.

*** *** **** ***

Start your Reiki Practice with Trees

Some Reiki practitioners begin their journey by giving Reiki to their favorite tree rather than to people. Trees aren’t judgmental, and therefore may seem less intimidating for a first-timer who just wants to slowly wade into the experience of giving Reiki.

Since all living things are energy, trees can respond to the Reiki when it’s being sent from a distance, as well as when it’s being given hands-on. For those of you who may have been too young to join the “tree-hugger” generation, now you can hug a tree with the intention of giving it Reiki. Practitioners are easily able to learn what the flow feels like as it goes to the bark on the tree trunk, or to a leaf or a bud, or even to the barren winter branches that hold the promise of buds deep inside.

Just like with people who don’t need to feel sick in order to reap the benefits of receiving Reiki, so it is with trees and plants. Reiki can be given to a healthy tree in all seasons. In the summer when the tree is all leafed out, giving it Reiki is a way of saying “Thank you for providing oxygen and shade.” In the Spring, Reiki can help coax forth the new leaves in a welcoming soft layer, which in turn will provide a nesting place for birds who will soon be needing those nests for their babies. In autumn, Reiki can help the tree transition as leaves release their hold on the branches. Most of all, no matter what season, giving Reiki to a tree sends a message of unconditional love and appreciation which may be felt on an energy-level by all of the other plant life around it. There are other situations when giving Reiki to a tree may be beneficial.

When to Give Reiki to a Tree

When a sapling has just been planted or transplanted from one location to another
Before and after pruning limbs
When a tree has fallen
Before a tree is cut down, and to the stump and felled tree afterwards
When a tree is diseased
When a tree experiences climate or weather changes
Before a storm

We know that plants thrive when classical or uplifting music is played around them. Music is energy. You may have read how plants also grow and respond when we quietly and caringly talk to them. Our words and emotions are energy too. Reiki is Universal energy. When it’s sent for the good of the plant or tree, it responds to the Reiki in a positive way.

Giving Reiki to Other Forms of Nature

Giving Reiki to trees, plants, ponds and streams is a respectful way of honoring the earth we temporarily inhabit. There are some Reiki practitioners who feel a real calling to give Reiki to nature, and in that way, become stewards of the earth. Some are even called to give Reiki to land that has been torn asunder by war, or oceans that have been tarnished by oil spills.

Some Reiki practitioners feel embarrassed about giving Reiki to a tree in a public place where others can see them, so they send the Reiki with their eyes in a soft gaze, allowing the Reiki to flow softly to whatever plant or tree they feel guided to reach out to in that moment. And they trust that the Reiki will be received for the highest good of the tree or plant.

If you see energy around plants, it’s fun to watch their energy respond and change whenever they are given Reiki. I’ve experienced the energy field around a leaf reaching out to touch my fingers as I gave it Reiki. Definitely a moment of awe for me! Some say the whole atmosphere around the tree that receives Reiki changes to a more uplifted feeling with a less dense quality. Even if we can’t see it, like our breath, the energy is there.

I think the earth as a whole benefits from the Reiki it receives from so many practitioners across the globe. And, in turn, we benefit from a healthy planet. Perhaps, somewhere, an old pine or a maple sapling is just waiting for you to give it Reiki!

Many Reiki blessings on your journey,
Yvonne P. Gleason
Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

Reiki and Unconditional Love

February 1, 2016 by Yvonne

Reiki Deepens Unconditional Love

February valentines are already here to help us celebrate love! Although there are many different kinds of love, unconditional love is a selfless kind of love. Reiki helps to deepen unconditional love for self and for others.

Unconditional Love and Giving Reiki to Others

Why do we need to practice unconditional love for each other? It’s a healthy and non- ego-based way of seeing ourselves and others. It allows us to see, with fresh eyes, the essence or the bigger truth of us.

In the past, sometimes I’ve gotten frustrated with someone and I’ve reacted with tears. Now, I can remind myself to take a step back and try to see the essence of that person. I allow my ego to step aside for a moment in order to be able to see a bigger picture. I remind myself that the other person is coming from a situation that I may not yet fully understand. I remind myself that she, like myself, is a divine soul made of Universal, loving energy. This allows me to shed my ego-based, emotional reactions long enough to begin to build a healthy bridge to that person and start to work out our differences together. Then we both can come to a clearer understanding of our viewpoints.

Reiki has helped me so much with this concept of stepping aside and seeing others through the eyes of unconditional love. As part of preparing myself to give a Reiki treatment session to someone, I set my intention to let my ego step aside, so that I can be a pure vessel for Higher Power or Universal energy to flow through me for the greatest good of the recipient. I ask for the very best and highest for that recipient, knowing it all comes from a Source of unconditional love. This is a love without conditions or terms being placed upon it. If the very essence of us is unconditional love, then I’m just asking to be in alignment with the basic essence of who I am. It is from this aligned place that I am able to help someone with Reiki.

Reiki and Unconditional Love for Self

If I want to see others through eyes of unconditional love, I know I first have to start with myself. The concept of giving to ourselves and loving ourselves first, before being able to give and love another has been written about widely. I believe it to be true. So, I practice unconditional love for who I am every time I give myself Reiki. With self-Reiki, I honor “the fundamental me”—a soul made of unconditional love.

Here is an exercise that has helped others get in touch with feeling more unconditional love for themselves:

Self-Reiki and the Mirror Exercise

Look into the reflection of your eyes in the mirror.
Place your hands over your heart chakra and give yourself Reiki.
Allow yourself to feel as much love for yourself as you comfortably can.
Say your name out loud to your reflection, followed by: “I love you and I appreciate you unconditionally”.

Although this might feel uncomfortable at first, many have grown spiritually by practicing this exercise regularly. When we come from a place of validation and self-worth, we can reach out to others much more easily, with uplifting and respectful energy. There is a subtle domino effect that occurs, as respectful unconditional love extends from one person to another. It creates well-being and positive attitudes all the way around.

I still do the Mirror exercise when I know I need it. Practicing self-Reiki and unconditional love for myself is like an act of kindness from myself to myself. Or a special kind of energy-valentine.

Receiving Reiki and Unconditional Love

Another way I receive unconditional love is to receive regular Reiki treatment sessions from a Reiki Master. That way, I just receive unconditional love from Higher Power, for as long as the session lasts. It’s restorative and energizing and very calming. Afterwards, I feel connected to the essence of who I am.

For many people, it’s easier to love our pets unconditionally than to love ourselves unconditionally. For those who didn’t grow up learning to comfortably hold themselves within a heart-space, Reiki treatment sessions allow for that kind of quiet time, and during that time, healing and spiritual growth can occur.

When I feel unconditional love for myself, that’s when the smaller unimportant things fall away such as negative self-talk, self-doubts, etc. That’s my ego bringing up those things. With the unconditional love I feel with Reiki, the doubts and negative thoughts disappear and are replaced with confidence and joy, and a better ability to move forward in my daily life.

Part of unconditional love is to not take myself so seriously all the time. Laughter and joy are a part of the unconditional love I feel with Reiki. When things don’t turn out as planned, the love is still there, and I can laugh and say, “Oh well, let’s try again.” Or I can say, “O.K., if not this, then something better will come along.” So it’s a healthier, more balanced place to be—and it’s Reiki that has helped me to deepen that place of balance and connection.

So, you might be wondering: Even with all of my practice with self-Reiki and unconditional love, are there times when I still get frustrated with others or even with myself? Yes, sometimes I do. Then I catch myself and I remember to take a step back and begin to set my ego-based emotions aside for a moment or two, so that I am able to work things out with a situation or with others.

It’s a process and a journey of spiritual growth; and Reiki is helping me along the way. Thanks to Reiki, I’m better able to see the truth of myself and others with more unconditional love. And that helps to make every day Valentine’s Day!

Many Reiki blessings on your journey,
Yvonne P. Gleason
Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

Celebrating Spring at Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

March 19, 2015 by Yvonne

Reiki for Spiritual Growth and Renewal

Just as the sunlight allows new flowers to come to the surface, Reiki coaxes growth for mind, body, and soul. Reiki can renew the mind and help us to grow the seeds for new ideas. Reiki also can prepare our way for self-discovery.

Reiki Clears the Way for New Experiences

Before we plant flowers, we need to clear away the old dried leaves from last autumn and the brown straggly weeds that we may not have pulled last summer. This creates an inviting open space to plant all that we want.

Sometimes we may embark on a new project only to have it thwarted by old, limiting beliefs or old memories about ourselves or our capabilities. During a Reiki session, these beliefs or memories might rise to the surface so that we can become aware of them. Then we can work with them in our own way if desired, and then let them go. This allows for a nurturing space where we can move forward in our new projects or goals. If we’re feeling a lack of energy or we think something is holding us back from progressing to where we want to go, then Reiki can help us to see that obstacle. Obstacles are like precious stones because they allow us to learn about ourselves.

After a Reiki session, a client might say something like: “During the session, I had a memory of my birthday party when I was ten and my best friend couldn’t be there.” Or a client might say, “I suddenly remembered my former boyfriend from years ago.” Memories and feelings may rise to the surface from our subconscious so that we can consciously become aware of them. Then we can see if they relate in any way to what is happening in our current life situations. Becoming aware is a good idea since we can then move forward more easily without being burdened with feelings from the past.

Reiki Nurtures the Soul to Help with Spiritual Growth

Reiki is a great nurturer for all aspects of us: mind, body, and soul. Sometimes we don’t take the time to nurture ourselves enough. Sometimes we might do for others so much that it’s hard to move forward with our own dreams. We need to nurture the seeds of our dreams. Finding the time seems to be a challenge for many.

Sometimes our lives are full and yet finding one or two things in our calendar to re-arrange or even let go of, can make a great space for us to nurture our dreams. We can create the space to focus on what we really want in the here-and-now. Even if we just start out by finding a space in our calendar to schedule a Reiki session, the Reiki treatment session becomes a very special event because we know that specific time is just for us.

Helping Dreams Blossom at Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

We may already know what flowers we want to plant, and an uncluttered space will give them room to grow. Once the space is cleared, we can then set our intention for our dreams to be manifested.

Reiki also can help us to find that next step. For instance, during a Reiki session, we might receive:

an idea for a new job,
a hint about a new lifestyle,
or clarity about a long-standing situation.

When this happens, we’re on the path to new spiritual growth.

Reiki is energy from Source, flowing in for our greater good and in this “sunlight” we can grow our dreams, intentions, and the self-confidence to move forward into a life we want to co-create.

Many blessings,
Yvonne P. Gleason
Reiki Sanctuary of Northern Virginia

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