Reiki and COVID 19

By Casey Cheah, 14 March 2020

Reiki and COVID 19

Reiki and COVID. Lately in my yoga classes and in the community, there has been a lot of talk about the Coronavirus pandemic and what this will mean for all of us in the coming months. There is a lot of fear and panic and stressful energy out there at the moment, and it is very easy to get swept up in it all.

Yoga, Reiki and COVID

When one of my corporate yoga clients called to cancel yoga for the unforeseeable future while we manage our way through this pandemic, my immediate thought and reaction was ‘why?’! Yoga could be exactly what people need at this time; to de-stress their mind, to relax their body, to move and breathe. To remind themselves that we are ALL connected. We are all part of this planet, and in a time of isolation and separation, it is more important than ever to come together.

It made me quite frustrated, and dare I say angry.

COVID and fear

But just as I tell my clients, whenever there is an emotional trigger, we must pay attention to what the emotion is. All negative emotions stem from FEAR. In this crazy time where no-one knows what will happen, with so much uncertainty, it makes sense that people are coming from fear. Whether this client’s reaction is right or wrong, it really doesn’t matter. What mattered to me in that moment was MY reaction; my thoughts, my judgements and my emotions.

From fear to love

Luckily, a minute later I stumbled across an Instagram story, referencing one of my favourite writers Elizabeth Gilbert. She had a powerful message that helped me jump back from fear into LOVE. She helped me see the situation with more understanding, compassion and kindness for everyone involved. I thought I would share Elizabeth’s message here, as it might help you just as it helped me today.

Elizabeth Gilbert’s message of love

“Dear Ones – For now, the only thing I have to say about the Coronavirus is this: Let’s not judge people too fiercely for how they are reacting to this situation. It may be the case that people are overreacting, or it may be that they are under-reacting…its’ not my place to judge that. I don’t have all the answers and I can’t see into the future – no more than anybody else can. But I do know that when I add my condemnation to the conversation, it just ratchets up hysteria in a different way – and most of all, its not kind.

If you believe that somebody is overreacting, just try to remember that another word for ‘overreaction’ is “fear”. Try to be compassionate, not contemptuous. We don’t’ all share the same fears, but we all know what fear feels like, and it’s a terrible sensation. I wouldn’t wish fear on anybody, and I know that a lot of people are genuinely afraid right now.

I have no way of knowing how many people are going to suffer physically from this virus, but I do know that millions of people are already suffering from it emotionally – and those people need love, not contempt. Those people are my brothers and sisters. Let me never forget my compassion for their anxiety, rather than telling them how they should or should not be feeling.

Let me also show strong a strong measure of mercy to the people across the world who are running institutions, schools, governments, and companies right now. Those people are faced with the supremely unenviable task of trying to figure out how to respond to this crisis responsibly.

There is no playbook and they will make mistakes. They will overreact; they will under react. We are human beings in an impossible dilemma. I would not wish to be the person faced with such massive, impactful decisions right now. Let me show compassion to them. Let me show compassion to all. And let me never stop asking: ‘how can I help’?”

Take a moment to consider

After reading this message, I reconsidered the situation. I was able to see that the leaders at this company are in a very difficult position in trying to decide what is best for their employees in such an unknown, uncertain environment. It’s not for me to judge what is right or wrong, good or bad. I would not like to be in their position, and it made me feel compassion towards them and the company as a whole.

Where is your own reaction coming from?

It also made me realise that at the heart of it, my OWN reaction was also stemming from fear too – fear of losing work, fear for my yoga students and how they must be feeling (without yoga!), and fear of how this would impact my business and income.

Reiki brings us back to love

Now that I’ve realised this, I am making a conscious decision to come from love. I must be honest though, it’s not always easy! At times, my mind wanders back into a fear state and thoughts of frustration and anxiety arise. But this is part of the practice. A moment to pause; a moment to breathe; and always, always, come back to love.

Reiki and COVID

If you are struggling with fear, anxiety, stress, anger or frustration, and need support through this challenging time, I get it. Reiki and yoga in these Covid times are necessary! To book in for a Reiki healing, click here. Reiki helps to calm your mind, soothe your nervous system, and connect you back into a vibration of love. I look forward to seeing you soon.

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