Being in Right Relationship with Reiki with Reiki Women Podcast

Join Bronwen Logan from Reiki with Bronwen, Michaela Daystar from Heartscapes Reiki, and Carrie Varela from the Reiki Healing Society as they delve into the multifaceted concept of 'Right Relationship' within the system of Reiki. 

This discussion encompasses its Buddhist origins, indigenous perspectives, and the interbeing concept introduced by Thich Nhat Hanh. 

They explore how right relationships with oneself, others, and the natural world are key to effective Reiki practice and personal healing. 

Learn how self-love is pivotal in maintaining balance and harmony in our daily lives and spiritual practices. 

Tune in for an enriching conversation that underscores the importance of compassion, interconnectedness, and holistic well-being.

00:00 Introduction to Reiki Women Podcasts
00:25 Exploring the Concept of 'Right' in Reiki
01:20 Michaela's Perspective on Right Relationship
06:17 Carrie's Indigenous Perspective on Right Relationship
11:11 Bronwen's Buddhist Perspective on Right Relationship
33:56 The Role of Distance Healing in Reiki
43:11 Concluding Thoughts on Right Relationship
48:04 Final Remarks and Call to Action

Bronwen Logan: https://ReikiwithBronwen.com
Carrie Varela: https://www.reikihealingsociety.com
Michaela Daystar: http://HeartscapesInsight.com

We now have our own email! reikiwomenpodcasts@gmail.com
Our own RWP Group discussion: Embodying Reiki
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1564135767437136/

Transcript

Speaker: 0:06

Hello and welcome to Reiki Women Podcasts. It's Bronwen Logan here from Reiki with Bronwen and my two colleagues are Michaela Dastar from Heartscapes Reiki and Carrie Farrella from the Reiki Healing Society. Welcome guys. Thank you. And, uh, today we're going to talk about, uh, something that has a lot of different angles to reach it. Um, it's the word right. Now we have a certain perspective of what right might mean in, in our, um, possibly Western culture in, at least in our three Western culture. And, uh, Then the system of Reiki comes from Japan. So, you know, it has a very strong Buddhist influence. Uh, so the term right has some different, uh, uh, meanings in that. And we can look at the system of Reiki and we can look at, um, how we practice, um, we can look at the symbols and mantras, we can look at treatments, we can look at all different aspects, self practice and see what it means to have a right relationship to those things. So I'm going to actually open this up and throw it to Michaela. Michaela, um, what do you think it means to have a right relationship to the system of Reiki?

Speaker 2: 1:27

Yeah, it's um, I love that you started off Talking about the, the way that we can look at this from so many different angles, right, including our own personal definition of what it means to be, have a right relationship with, with something, uh, including with our practice, with the system of Reiki and, and with the phenomenon of Reiki, um, itself, um, making that distinction. Uh, so I think I just, the place that I wanted to start was, um, kind of contextualizing one of those, um, Um, Perspectives, which is the one that's most directly related to the system of Reiki itself, which is those Buddhist origins, um, and, you know, kind of coming at that, interpreting it through, you know, my viewpoint as a Western person and, and, you know, having studied Buddhism in the context of the system of Reiki and, you know, looking at it from the kind of simplest perspective, um, when we talk about having right relationship In the context of Buddhism, it's really referring to that concept of interdependence or interbeing as Thich Nhat Hanh calls it being aware of and actively in response to the knowledge that we are interconnected beings, that we have a certain perspective that is our own, we have our way that we walk through the world, that is, that is our own experience, but that our being is inherently Much bigger than that and is connected with each other with the many aspects of, uh, inside of ourself with the wider web of life with the natural world. Um, truly with all things, if we really follow that thought process out to its edges. And so if we think about right relationship in that context, we're talking about what is the way to be in relationship. Thanks. Everything, um, in a way that in my words serves life and serves, serves that sense of connection. Um, and, you know, if we're looking at how to respond to something or how to, um, approach something in our life and our day to day life. You know, what approach or what decision or what interaction is going to, uh, serve connection is going to serve, uh, life, uh, versus serving disconnection, serving duality, um, you know, a distancing from each other and that can get complex. Because, you know, there's a lot of complexity to our relationships and sometimes, you know, serving what we need most to be in good relationship with ourself is to set a boundary with a person, for example, is to maybe not be in direct relationship with that person, uh, to move away from that person or that situation or that decision or what have you. But there's still a way to do that in a way that serves life and that serves interconnection, that serves interbeing. Ways to bring compassion to that boundary setting, to that stepping away, to that moving away. Um, and to me those are the subtleties that, Come into play when we want to be in right relationship with ourself, each other, the wider web of life. And of course, the system of Reiki points us to this and gives us some instruction and some guidance, um, in, in doing that. And we can see that in a lot of different places, um, but very specifically in the fourth precept, when we look at it from the perspective of being true to your way and your being. So you have this, you know, this path that we have in our life, and this precept distinguishes those two. Aspects of ourself that I just talked about, our way, our individual life, the decisions we make, the experiences we have, what we need to, you know, do to move our individual life forward. And then we have our being, which is that wider context of interdependence and interbeing that my one life is really an expression of this larger life. And one of the most. It's a question and an exploration, you know, as I've been teaching this material over the years, I've come to really appreciate that this particular precept, and really when we think about how to take this precept on in our life, is the one that gives us the most opportunity to get really subtle and complex in how we apply it to our daily life. Because How do you make a decision or how do you approach a challenging or conflict filled relationship in a way that's true to both your way and your being? And then to kind of root it back into the question that we started with, how to be in right relationship with Reiki, with the system of Reiki, with the system of Reiki. with Reiki, the phenomenon in the world, uh, in a way that honors both our way and our being. Um, and so that circles us back to our original question with that context. And Carrie, I know you came to this conversation with a possibly related, but also a different perspective on how we might think about this question of right relationships. So I'd love to have you throw that context into the cauldron for us.

Speaker 3: 6:34

All right. Um, well, I so appreciate that Buddhist perspective and point of view and, um, just your own interpretation of it as well. Um, so, yeah, I mean, you know, I'm not actually super familiar with this, so I don't want to speak, you know, to say something that's incorrect, but, you know, this whole notion of right relationship is embedded within a lot of indigenous cultures. And, you know, there might be nuances to how it's expressed and talked about and maybe different methods of being in right, right relationship. But I think some of the common themes are, you know, being humble with yourself, humble about with life, um, you know, right relationship is about your connection to the earth. To, you know, your relationships, um, and in, uh, you know, your ancestors as well. And, um, being in right relationship with the world around you. And, um, you know, some practices that help us be in right relationship are, you know, again, humility, forgiveness, um, perhaps doing rituals, uh, oriented around our ancestors. Um, And, um, I, I read this definition, which I just thought was so beautiful is that, you know, to be in right relationship and to be in relationship with somebody else is to be responsible for that other person as well. So being responsible, not only to ourselves, but also to them and to take care of each other, you know, to be kind and take care of each other. And, um, yeah, and so it's just, um, it's just such a, um, a nerve wracking experience. Nourishing thought, I guess. I mean, it's just such an interesting question, and particularly for myself, who, you know, I've definitely struggled in relationships in different times and aspects of my life. First of all, to, like, what Michaela was talking about, and I know she just jumped off because she's been having some connection. Um, you know, struggles to create those strong boundaries and to not bend over backwards for people and to recognize when my boundaries have been crossed and recognize when I need to create a better relationship with myself so I can feel more comfortable, um, having stronger boundaries, you know, that can be one thing. So it, I think right relationship, it really starts with ourself and. When we think about right relationship with Reiki, I think that that's such an interesting perspective because, you know, if we can, if we understand Reiki from a more esoteric point of view, you know, Reiki is pointing us in the direction of our true self, our soul, our spirit of like who we really are beyond the physical body, um, https: otter. ai Energetic and spiritual place. And so, you know, even though, you know, kind of depends on your context within how you're defining Reiki, uh, or working with the system of Reiki, Reiki can also be the universe as well. So it's speaking to both an inner and outer relationship and, um, how, you know, the, our, our inner world is a reflection also of our outer world. So I think when we're talking about, uh, finding right relationship, uh, it really does start with ourself, even though it might seem like an external thing, um, you know, like if we don't have the relationships that we're desiring, um, if there is, uh, challenge or conflict in our relationships. Um, you know, to look inside of ourselves and, uh, really start with ourself and then from this kind of strengthening the container of ourself, we begin to explore of how are we're in right relationship with others around us. And, um, And yeah, so I just love that notion of, of feeling responsible for others and, and, and maybe there's some, uh, something there to, to explore, but just to really recognize that, you know, in intimate relationships and friendships and family, um, You know, I think in my family, you know, we have to know that we belong together, you know, and we have to have that same sacred trust that we all belong together and that we're all, um, striving to take care of each other and that, you know, we all play a role to help each other. Um, and there's times in it where it's important to be able to step back and take care of ourselves as well. So. Those are some of my thoughts that came up around the topic. Bronwen, what do you think?

Speaker: 11:11

Yeah, well, welcome back, Michaela. Um, um, yeah, there's some really lovely. ideas there. I sort of wasn't going down the route that you two went, but I totally get it. And, uh, I, you know, just, I, because I could see the interbeing idea that Michaela had, which I love the idea that, take that Hans, interbeing, but, and, and how, yeah, in a way you're sort of fleshing that out, Carrie, I guess, talking about how we are inside, outside together, you know, and, uh, Yeah, that's really beautiful. I was sort of looking at it from, well, I was thinking of, I guess I was thinking of it more from a Buddhist perspective, just because of the system of Reiki, but you know, like in the West, we think of things like, Right being the opposite of wrong. So right and wrong. And in, um, in Buddhism, I mean, no, the word right does not mean that type of right. It's a different type of right. So, um, there's a couple of ways I could describe it, but first, I guess if I were to look at It means from a Buddhist perspective, it comes from a Sanskrit background and right, uh, actually it has a number, it, it has a number of, uh, meanings in Sanskrit, but one of them, which I love is to unite, which actually relates to exactly what you two were talking about. And, uh, also it relates to something that we do within the system of Reiki. Which is when we place our hands in gusso, the word gusso means to unite. So we're, we're bringing together and you know, we're physically doing that in our practices. So, you know, we might be doing it as a way of setting intention, um, feeling gratitude, or just sitting in that space of. of unitedness. And, uh, that is right, which is sort of interesting. I had a Reiki treatment on the weekend and I was trying to describe to this guy who'd never, whose girlfriend booked him in for a Reiki treatment. He didn't know he was coming for a Reiki treatment. Generally my worst type of client, but he was actually lovely and it was all good, but I was a bit like, Cause you just don't know, do you? And, uh, anyway, he was lovely, but he didn't have any idea what on earth it was. And, um, you know, I think every time I explain what a Reiki treatment treatment is to a client, it's different because it depends on who you're describing it to. But I, I guess one way that I describe it is that our body and our mind and our heart, that, that these aspects of ourselves, that they, um, that they let go of all the things that they're holding on to, and they try to find their place back into some sort of Balance with each other. And that is sort of like a neutral space. And I wasn't, I don't normally use the word neutral, but the word neutral came up and I was like, it's like a neutral space. It's. And that to me is, you know, when people talk about things like emptiness, for example, and when we hear the word emptiness, especially in our Western culture, it just seems sounds lonely and horrible and not really a place I'd like to be. But, um, that's actually you know, it's this space of not holding on to things. It's a space of, of letting go and release. And that is a space where when we move into healing, like with a Reiki treatment, for example, you know, um, when we, or whatever we're doing to move into that healing space, we're moving our bodies. If we can let go our bodies, our body, mind, heart, that they're all moving into that space alignment with one another and nothing is holding them back so that to me is like the right space that is this space that is uh that is It is emptiness. If you want to take it from a Buddhist perspective, it is a space that is just this boundless, uh, you know, if there was something in that space, then it would be obstructing or, or making something move in a different way. And that's, those are the things that we hold on to. And that's why we have the Reiki precepts because they tell us, you know, to let go of, um, anger, that would be something that would be in that space. You know, or worry and to be true to our way, like you both said, really, that it's just that letting it happen, letting ourselves move into that, uh, the freedom of that space. Um, so those were the things that I was thinking about. Um, there was more. Oh, I know what I was thinking. Uh, no, no, I think that was actually sort of it. Um, so I don't know if anyone's got anything to add. to that or some of the thoughts? I

Speaker 2: 16:36

love, you know, again, the range of ways that we can take, uh, what seems like a simple question, right? What does it mean to be in right relationship with Reiki or, or with anything else? Um, and there are these, these different ways, but I love the threads that are between them, right? So, uh, Bronwen, when you talked about Gasso and that meaning of, of unity or, you know, with the bringing together of opposites, um, and that's, again, pointing us back to that, that. State of interbeing and then bringing in. You know, indigenous perspectives that has us really cast our mind to the natural world and to really, you know, put to the front of our mind. What is our relationship with that world? What are our responsibilities therefore towards the natural world and towards ourselves as a part of that natural world? And I always want to, you know, remind myself. And remind all of us that all of us come from indigenous peoples who understood that, you know, if we go far enough back on our, on our lineage and our heritage, no matter where we can track our ancestry will, uh, you know, eventually find people who lived in as well as they could write relationship with the natural world and who really, um, We're very conscious and intentional about, uh, tending that relationship, um, and so, you know, if we look at it through the Reiki lens, we would be talking about indigenous Shinto perspectives. If we're talking about it through the lens of my personal ancestry, I would be looking to Celtic roots. Um, but no matter, you know, where we are from in the world, uh, you know, we're from people who understand this, which means that we have it in ourselves inherently to understand this. And of course, then we also have teachings that bring that to the forefront. Um, and so, you know, one of the things that's. One of the many things that's amazing and wonderful about that fact is that nature is such a clear and consistent and thorough teacher about things like this, right? About right relationship, about unity, about interbeing. We can see those things. Occurring in the most mundane corners of the natural world, um, all the time if we pay attention, um, and that's really good news because these concepts can feel sometimes a little bit confusing, a little bit esoteric, a little bit like, well, maybe I understand that. Conceptually, but again, what does that have to do with my life? And how do I integrate this idea of being in right relationship into my day to day decisions and experiences? And, you know, starting with what does it look like to be in right relationship with nature and then observing the way that nature functions is a really concrete. Uh, but also really poetic way of going about that inquiry. And of course, the system of Reiki is grown out of that kind of understanding. And no matter how esoteric the teachings might get, it is all rooted in what is observable in the natural world. And that includes inside of our own self, our own bodies, our psyche, our imagination, our feelings. Um, it's really all there. for us to explore and to find if we take the time and focus our attention. Um, and so that always just feels like good news to me that we have this incredible teacher that is so, um, thorough and elegant and Complex to be sure, but in other ways, very simple in terms of how we can see what right relationship looks like and you know, I often say that we need to look no further than, you know, compost pile to see the ways in which the many elements of life cooperate and come into unity with each other to generate more life. Um, and. You know, I often and many people often use the metaphor of composting, bioremediating, uh, the processing of, you know, dead things back into living energy as a really powerful, not only direct example in the living world, but also metaphor for how we might approach our lives. Right? So being in right relationship with ourself, for example, can include recognizing when it's time to let something go, when it's time to let something, you know, pass and decompose, but then also tending the new life that's coming forward. Uh, we could probably each pick any number of examples of things in our life that have had those kinds of qualities. Um, And perhaps times in our life when it's been very challenging to let go of those things that are, are passing away in our, in our life that can include relationships, can include, um, jobs, it can include, uh, beliefs and, and thoughts, you know, that it's like, wow, I've, I've outgrown that thought process, but I'm still holding on to it. So, you know, again, we have these complex topics. that we really are benefited to bring into our day to day life and the system of Reiki helps us to do that. And then we have this beautiful, thorough, elegant teacher in the natural world that can help us do that. And if that feels unfamiliar to anyone looking to the natural world in this way, it helps to remember that again, we all come from people who did this. We all come from people who understood what right relationship with the world looks like. And extended that absolutely, you know, included in that right relationship in communities, you know, in families, in societies, um, and right relationship with spiritual practice, right? So right relationship with the system of Reiki, for example. And then the other place that my mind went as I was listening to the two of you and thinking about this is, you know, on a more granular level, what does it look like for me, personally, for you, for any of us to be in right relationship with Reiki itself in that intimate place? And, you know, here we can of course start with the things that, that are obvious, right? Staying committed to our practice. Just for today, I am diligent in being true to my way and my being as best I can in any given moment, being compassionate, being rooted in gratitude, letting go of anger and fear. So, you know, that's a question to really come back to because if we're not in right relationship with our practice, meaning we are engaging the practice, we're allowing the practice to work on us, we're making, you know, we're paying attention. Bronwen. to how being in the practice impacts us. Um, we have a personal part of that practice. We don't only focus our practice on doing Tenehira or, you know, palm healing treatments on other people, which is That's definitely how I approached my practice for the first couple of years, though I've talked about that before. The point of this practice is to heal other people. Nope. The point of this practice is to be in good, right relationship with ourself and then to allow that right relationship to expand outward. So you know, these are the things that we can, you know, be in, um, You know, take honest self assessments and inventories around, right? Um, am I in right relationship with my practice with Reiki and therefore with the phenomenon of Reiki, which of course is simply what we are, right? You know, in a certain sense saying, am I in right relationship with Reiki, with spiritual energy, with the phenomenon of Reiki in the world? It's the same question as saying, am I in right relationship with myself? Am I in right relationship with you? Am I in right relationship with the living creatures that are in my environment? It's all the same question. And that's, you know, again, on the one hand, maybe a little bit complex, but on the other hand, it's good news because we can actually approach the question from any of those directions, right? We can get in right relationship. As a starting point in any of those realms, right? To start with, like, what, what feels available to me? Maybe I'm really, really struggling in a relationship, and it's really hard to think of how I can bring compassion to that relationship. And it's really hard, therefore, to be in right relationship with that relationship. Maybe I'm really struggling to be in good, right relationship with myself, you know, there's times when I feel really badly about myself and it, and I say nasty things to myself, you know, and I'm not compassionate and I'm not grateful and I'm angry and I'm afraid about myself. Right? There's, there's those times in those times, you know, can I be in good, right relationship with my garden? Can I be in good, right relationship with my cat? Right? Usually the answer is, yeah, probably I could. If I could get my head out of like, feeling sorry for myself, I can probably get in good, right relationship with my cat and my garden. And then that becomes, you know, a point of inspiration and a point of expansion that often kind of helps me circle back around and get back in good, right relationship with myself and with the relationships that might be struggling in my life. So, yeah, I think, I think really to sum up all of what I just said, you know, again, it comes back to interbeing All right. And that's good news because again, we can pull any thread. Any thread that's available to us and it touches the whole web.

Speaker 3: 26:24

Yeah, I love all of that. I mean, I think it's just such a deep concept. And, um, yet, you know, it's surprisingly simple too. You know, I mean, we can look at it more deductively in any aspect of our life. Like you said, Michaela, and you get to. To see maybe a deeper level of and complexity that's there. So I'm just thinking my mind's going towards, uh, you know, right relationship with the, you know, business of Reiki, you know, how do you hold the, the challenging our Jewish process of building Reiki practice and, and, um, you know, uh, kind of riding the waves of, of working with other people, um, You know, holding their, um, challenges and suffering, but not taking it on, uh, for yourself, you know, creating those strong boundaries, um, finding clients, making enough money, you know, all of that, it can, um, it can kind of tie around our own identity and who we feel like we are, and so I heard it recently and it's just been so, such a good reminder is that, you know, I am not my business like I am not like what's going on in that pocket of my life is actually not all that I am, you know, and so to be able to make that separation and in order to do that is is to help buy more right relationship, you know, I who I am is not an expression of what I do or who I serve or who I help who I am is something much more intrinsic than that. Yet, those imbalances in our life can really show up when we we. choose to, well, we look at things more deductively. Like, so, you know, you think about, um, money, you know, as a really, it's a form of relationship. That's a currency of relationship, and it shows us how we are in relationship with the external world, and when we don't have a lot of money, maybe there is something to explore around being more open to receiving our needs, to be in touch with our needs, getting our needs met in a healthy way. Um, you know, likewise, in relationship, you know, when conflict is kind of constantly rearing its head. I know for myself, sometimes, you know, that relates to just this, just this mirrored aspect of our relationship. Like we see some, something in someone else that we can't accept in ourselves. And so there's these conflicts that arise. And so when, uh, you know, we see other people and the people that we really want to be in relationship with is to remember that we're seeing ourself like a different reflection of

Speaker 4: 29:08

who we

Speaker 3: 29:08

are. Um, and, And, you know, this whole task of healing relationships, you know, from different lenses and points of view, like from Vedic astrology lens, which I've been studying more and more of lately, um, you know, it is like one of the more foundational buckets, let's say, where, um, you know, our, our healing patterns really arrive, like, so, you know, we can have healing patterns related to our physical health. And that also can point us back in this direction of right relationships. So how is our physical health? How is our relationship with our body reflecting to us, you know, right relationship with the world and, um, ourself as well? Um, but, you know, money, finances, that's a whole nother bucket of relationship, uh, of, of, of, uh, life lessons. And, um, yeah, also relationship with ourself and the world. And so it's, it's, um, yeah, well, something I just love and appreciate so much about psychology is that it's, um, It's so intangible, these, these aspects of relationship, but they're yet like inside. There's so many patterns that are there. And when you learn to read the patterns, you get to understand yourself a little bit deeper. And, um, and I just love the system of Reiki. I love the practice of Reiki because it really gets to you. It's to the heart of, of, um, of being in right relationship and knowing that it starts with ourself. But as we open ourselves up to the world, to the universe, uh, we get to see how we're part interwoven into a whole and we're all playing a part, you know, in that, that, that process of, of, um,

Speaker 4: 30:56

you

Speaker 3: 30:56

know, helping other people heal. We really do start, it starts with ourself, but that, that work ripples on out to the world. So, um, yeah, anyways, there's just so much, um, beauty, I think, to really sit with. And I'm also really reflecting, you know, how in a Western culture, Bronwen, you mentioned this, is, you know, this kind of more dual, dual aspect of like, well, right means wrong, or right is the opposite of wrong. And I think, um, from this point of view, Sorry, from this point of view, it's more like, uh, you know, there's balance or imbalance, you know, like what you were talking about that Bronwen is like when we enter that void or this emptiness, it gives us an opportunity to find balance and harmony. inequality in our mind, body and heart. Not, not putting one as more important than the other. Something, sometimes I think I struggle with, you know, is that it's all important. It's like, we can't neglect our mind and just focus fully on our heart space. For example, like they are connected to each other and that when we enter that balance state, we can also really feel it. And, um, Some of what you were saying to, um, Mikayla was just, you know, we can know when we're out of right relationship when it is imbalanced. And when we don't feel good thoughts about ourselves, when we, you know, walk through the world, judging ourself or limiting ourself or, um, comparing ourselves to others, you know, sets up these hierarchies. But I think when I'm in right relationship, like I think of just feeling. Good and carefree and relaxed inside of my own self. I feel a stronger sense of self esteem. I feel confident in, um, you know, my, my place in the world. And so that, um, you know, and that shows up and it can show up for me in so many different ways and different aspects of, of how I relate to myself, to my family, to others. And, um, So yeah, I mean, I think, I guess, back to what you were saying, Bronwen, is that, you know, the opposite of right, I think, in this case, is, is imbalance. Like, how do we know about imbalance? And, um, coming back to the, the, the topic, the question is, uh, you know, how to be in right relationship with Reiki is, is also to know, like, when do I feel in balance with, in balance with my spiritual practice? When do I feel imbalanced with it? Um, and, um, Part of that journey of knowing ourselves is like knowing what that feels like when we don't feel like we're in right relationship We're not in integrity with our practice. We're not doing our practice in a way that You know supports us, you know, no matter how you relate to Reiki.

Speaker: 33:56

Yeah Yeah, a lot of, uh, what you were just saying there just made me think about one thing that we haven't spoken about, uh, within the system of Reiki, and that is distance healing. And in fact, what you were describing was distance healing. So this thing about starting with yourself, feeling comfortable in yourself, opening yourself up. connecting with the world, sharing that balanced space. And, you know, that, that is what we do when we, um, when we practice distance healing. And I, I think that often people think when we work with symbol three and its mantra that that is all about distance healing and you could say that if you like, but in reality, it is about having a right relationship with yourself and the world around you. And. we could, you know, I think we can also call that interbeing, obviously, right? So I mean, these things, they're all related. In fact, um, the, the, the term for that particular symbol and its mantra is interconnectedness. So when we're looking at the word, uh, the mantra, which is Japanese Kanji, Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, you know, show is right. And if we look at the Buddhist eight. you know, the noble eight, um, eightfold path. Yes. Um, you know, that's all, um, right speech, right thoughts, right acts, right living. These are all the things that you've just mentioned. It's all the, you know, when we see it in a Buddhist thing, it becomes very, I think, look, I'm just talking from a person who's not a Buddhist, but you know, those things can seem a little distant. and a little outside my realm of understanding. But in reality, they're just what we're trying to do and how we're trying to live in a healthy, um, happy, balanced life. And, um, so we can see that the system of Reiki deals directly with this idea of right, even, you know, within, in its, um, within the practices, uh, such as the symbols and mantras. And that's, you know, telling us that we, if we, well, is, you know, um, well, there's lots of different, uh, translations for that. And some of them are not literal. Like you could have like, I am right mind. And really, what's that saying? That saying that, you know, I'm having a right relationship with myself. And when you were talking before, Carrie, I was thinking how difficult it is sometimes to have that right relationship with yourself and how to feel, how to feel comfortable in ourselves. Before we even move out into like distance healing, right, or whatever, into the concepts of interbeing, just that, that whole thing of feeling okay about ourselves. I mean, how many people can truly say about themselves that they feel right about themselves? I don't, you know, I mean, there are aspects of me that, um, you know, I, I think probably I find, would find hard to love or like, or, or, you know, whatever. And, and, and they're the things that obviously that I would also like to, um, work with and shift and change. But to find that those, those pure moments of, of right relationship with the self is, is. is enlightenment. It's perfection. And, uh, so yeah, you're right. I think both of you, you know, that thing of that we need to begin with ourselves and work with ourselves and find. where that takes us. And, um, we're lucky that we have these tools within the system of Reiki that we can work with and, um, they can inspire us and they can give us something to work with.

Speaker 2: 38:25

I love that you brought Honsha Seishonen into this and you know, again, kind of fleshing out what, what is really meant when we talk about distance healing in the system of Reiki and how it's, it's, It's, you know, it's this inside out expansion of that right relationship, uh, and, and that it, it really does require some level of fluency with right relationship with ourself. Not that we have to be perfect as you just said, Bronwen, as I've said, you know, there's, it's, it is hard and it's not something that, um, it's easy to be consistent with all the time. And the good news is we don't have to be. You know, but we do have to be in the practice of it, you know, we do have to be in the inquiry of it and having, you know, working with this system gives us more and more of those moments that you're speaking of when we really sink into a right relationship with ourself and then it's from that. That we can, you know, express that outward, um, in distance healing and it's, it's, you know, it's maybe, that's maybe a great topic to, to circle back to, you know, because again, it's not about perfection. It's not like, well, until you're in perfect harmony, harmonized, balanced, interbeing, fully compassionate and all the things for yourself at all times, a hundred percent, you're enlightened. then you can't express any healing to anybody else, right? Like that's an extreme view that's inaccurate, right? And it's not what we're saying. Um, but, you know, can we truly share a space of healing that is emanating from us that somebody else can, uh, you know, be inside of and can, can, you know, pick up in their own system and therefore activate their own healing, which is, you know, kind of how I think about what a Reiki session is in person or distant. if we're not in any kind of inquiry around right relationship with ourself, right? And again, speaking from experience, my first couple of years with Reiki was almost entirely externally focused, right? In fact, it was a, um, it was a spiritual bypassing of like, I can't deal with how much I hate myself in certain ways. And so let me love everybody else real, real good. Let me, let me heal everybody else, make everybody else feel real, real good so that I don't have to deal with. That's, you know, um, and I was very limited and what I, and what I could share, you know, but what I was able to share, just even being in the question of it, was enough to put me on the path, thank goodness, right? And eventually come back around to, oh, oh, this is an inside out job. Like, it actually has to, it has to, the seed has to be planted and germinated and nourished and growing to some capacity in here before I can share it outward. And, you know, when teaching Honsha Seishonen and, you know, the various ways we can translate that, you know, and, and, you know, my original nature is a right thought or a correct thought being You know, often the starting point that I use, you know, it's just so lovely the way that you're, you're tying that in, Bronwen, you know, to this question of right relationship, you know, my original nature is to be in right relationship with myself and therefore, because we are interconnected because of interbeing with all of life, right? It's this beautiful paradoxical, you know, uh, infinity symbol of like, you know, when I am really in good, right relationship with myself, it really is. You know, radiating out into that web of life. And again, one of those things that can feel very esoteric and very confusing when we first encounter a phrase like, my original nature is a right thought. Like, what in the world does that mean, right? But when we ground that in these concepts that we've been discussing, and again, remember that nature is our best teacher because it's so concrete and it's so evident the way that these things operate, um, we can make it very, um, accessible. It can be very operational in our life, um, which is fun, you know, to be able to take, uh, these esoteric concepts that we have to maybe do a little work to even kind of figure out, um, and then go, Oh, Oh, this is actually going to make my job better. This is going to make my relationship with my surly teenager better. This is going to make those periods of depression in the winter time that I experienced better because I have this relationship with this concept. It's moved from being a concept to being an active. you know, thing in my life, so. I love it. So juicy.

Speaker: 43:14

Any last words, Carrie?

Speaker 3: 43:16

Yeah, I think, um, oh, I just, um, it's such a good topic. So much healing, you know, in this conversation, um, and just this whole notion of right relationship. But I think about the right relationship with healing is maybe where I want to land is just, um, you know, for when I first started with Reiki, I thought, You know, healing was about like cutting off all these things that I didn't like about myself, you know, getting rid of that baggage, right? And then just ascending and being a better person. So somehow bigger, brighter, more intelligent, more this, more that, more, you know, all of the things that I felt like I lacked. And, um, and I really. love this whole definition, this notion of healing is wholeness. And I've just, it's really shifted my own relationship with healing and to recognize that I actually can't do that to myself. I can't cut off these parts of myself that I don't like that. Um, you know, I heal wholeness. And so that when I am, you know, working with my relationship with myself or how that it's expressed externally as well is that, um, Is that I have to, um, you know, speak with that wounded part of myself. I have to work with that part of myself that I don't like. And I have to learn how to love myself. And, uh, you know, if, if the practice of Reiki brings us closer to our true self, closer to who we are, you know, a really easy barrier to run up against is that lack of respect for ourselves. That lack of care for ourselves, that, um, self depreciating attitude towards ourselves, that, you know, that, um, and I've felt that confronted in so many different times in my life and really have come back to finding my way back to self love is, is, is starting, you know, to, to, um, you know, feel the fruit of, of like loving and caring for others. For myself unconditionally. And, um, and I think when we learn how to do that, like we can do that in any relationship, you know, we learn how to take care of ourselves unconditionally. Um, with love and care for our spec or ourselves, it just makes every aspect of our life better. And, um, doesn't have to be a selfish thing. Doesn't have to be a narcissistic thing. It's actually about, um, you know, starting there and then being able to see others, you know, seeing them. And, and not asking perfection, uh, for perfection from the people we love. We're asking more for, uh, you know, compatibility and kindness and cooperation and care for each other. And that may be that shared responsibility as well. Um, but, um, I love, and I'm, I'm so glad that we landed on the Hansensation end because, Well, of course, that, that thread of Sho being right, but, um, I think it also really speaks to the power of the, the practice of Reiki is that, you know, when, when people have true, uh, profound experiences is, is that they're getting into that part of their being that just has this brilliant wisdom, this enlightened wisdom. on anything that's going on in our life. And, and when we feel that we, you know, it, it kind of shakes us, you know, and, um, as a practitioner, of course, you know, every time I offer a Reiki session, I want to support people getting into that space. But what I'm also realizing is as a healer is that I can't do that for anybody else. You know, I just have to hold the space and they have to step into that, that power themselves. And, um, um, And then that way, I'm not taking responsibility for, for anybody else's healing or for anybody's else experience. I just, I just do what, you know, I'm there to do to provide this service to others and, and support them to, um, you know, get what, get that, what they want out of it, get the camera for.

Speaker: 47:20

Beautiful. Yeah. That all touches my heart. Yeah. And. You know, I guess, uh, as we finish off, it's good to think about loving ourselves, what that means, what it means to then inter be with the world. And we certainly want to share that love. We don't want to share the, the other bits that, uh, that we're working on. So, um, what we want to do is we want to continue to work on ourselves and, and really find that love in ourselves. And it's really important. Makes it so much more easier then as well to, to be with others and, uh, help make this world a better place. So thank you for sharing with us today, uh, being here with us and you guys being here, um, together. Um, don't forget to follow us and like us and do all those sorts of nice things. We always appreciate it. And, uh, we look forward to seeing you at the next episode. Uh, if there's anything you'd like to talk about, maybe there's some ways that you that you work with to, um, bring about that sense of self love. Um, you know, I'd love to hear what you do and how you do it. Also, if there's any thoughts that you have for things that you'd like us to talk about, then, um, please put that in too. Cause we're always, um, looking for something to talk about. So it'd be nice to hear from you about that too. Lots of love to everybody and, uh, to you, Carrie, and to you, Michaela, and, uh, we'll see everyone soon. Mwah! Bye!