I’m sorry for my absence over the past few months. Between tending to my wife after her surgery and taking a deep dive into myself as a healer, I have not reached outside of this entity called Don for a while. And it’s been good.
In 2016, I made a conscious effort to rediscover who I really am beyond the expectations, habits and superimposed persona. I let go of doing things out of obligation. I questioned what and why I was doing everything and anything. And I asked myself, “What do you really want?” The process brought me to a cleaner expression of who I really am, closer to my True Nature. As a result, I felt freer. I felt stronger.
It didn’t happen over night. It went on for years. “It” being shining the light on the Shadow of my soul and bringing the light to consciousness. There were valleys and peeks for sure. The downs were deep. But the highs were comparably high, if not more so. It was in this time that I realized that the Shadow part of me, that part that I had hidden from myself and others, is an integral part of me. Hiding it cut me off from the real Me. And that Shadow part of me just wants to be loved and accepted - integrated. When I can do that, when I can love and integrate what was considered unacceptable about me, I am empowered, healed, restored to wholeness. That has been, and continues to be my work – shining the light in the Shadow.
About two months ago, my wife had major surgery and there was a moment in the cardiac ICU, where she wasn’t breathing on her own. She was in such a state of rest, or exhaustion that I could feel her drifting way. I stood by her bed reminding her to breathe, feeling like an annoyance while the fear of losing her weighed on my heart. The fear, the confusion, and ineffectiveness were similar to when I found out 4 years ago that I had prostate cancer. Why can’t I, a “powerful healer” do anything?
My wife is fine. She is back to leaving me in the dust as we walk around the block. My cancer is in remission (technically next year). And our journeys have steered me towards a deeper dive into my Reiki skills and practice. Not to get too technical, but, in addition to the Usui Reiki method, I’ve now studied Karuna, Psychic and Shinpiden (or mystery teaching) Reiki. Through it all, I found what I have intuitively known since I started Reiki in 1985. Reiki can be a tool for healing. But the main focus is spiritual development. Usui taught that the initial purpose of Reiki was to achieve what is called satori, finding ones spiritual path and healing oneself through connection with the Universal Life Force. Much like the Hawaiian practice of ho’oponopono, when you heal yourself and live from Divine Essence, you draw out the Essence of others. The oneness, or unity with the Force heals. Aligned with your True Self you come into harmony with wholeness.
So, I invite you to take time every day to focus your attention on the space that is three finger widths below your navel and about 2 inches in. Drop your awareness into this space and as breathe in slowly and deeply, imagine drawing the energy of the earth into your whole body. Become aware of what this energy feels like, and how it makes you feel. Explore it with all your senses.
This is part of what I’ve been doing over the last 6 months. It is part of what I will be teaching in my practice of Spiritual Growth Facilitation. I’m not sure what it will look like, exactly. But it will be fun exploring it with you as we all learn to align with and express our Divine Essence.