I love this quote from Pema Chödrön:

We cling to a fixed idea of who we are and it cripples us.  Nothing and no one is fixed.  Whether the reality of change is a source of freedom for us or a source of horrific anxiety makes a significant difference.  Do the days of our lives add up to further suffering or to increased capacity for joy?  That’s an important question.

I read this passage in The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times  several days ago.  I keep coming back to it because her message is so simple, yet often so difficult to affirm deep in our heart. 

We don’t get to choose who we are (at least not on a fundamental level.)  We don’t always get to choose circumstances in life that have an effect on us.  But we do get to choose how we accept ourselves, our lives and the decision to be joyful in the midst of all of life’s uncertainty.

In the beginning, it takes mindfulness.  It takes a gentle reminder or corrective action to recalibrate how our mind perceives the way we feel about ourselves, the situations we find ourselves in or certain life-changing circumstances. 

One of the gifts I appreciate most about Reiki is that first and foremost, it is an affirmative practice.  When doing Reiki, I affirm my connection to divine, positive energy.  I express gratitude for the healing and lessons I’ve learned, even when the circumstances have been painful or I had to confront and accept certain truths about myself.  I used to be afraid of allowing myself to feel joy, because I would think, “What if it doesn’t last?”  I thought I was protecting myself from suffering, but I was actually manifesting it.

I realized recently that even though those life experiences are not persistent phenomena, it’s OK.  What matters is my ability to be truly open and present to them, rather than anticipating loss and expressing anxiety.  The other thing I realized recently is that I want to give my daughter the gifts of joy and affirmation.  Life is more rewarding when you can recognize something about each day as inherently wonderful, rather than as a series of moments you need to just “get through.” 

Meister Eckhart, the German theologian and mystic, said, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.”

Look!  There’s a wonderful moment!

Thank you. 

I wanted to get the word out that kirtan singer Krishna Das will be playing at the Variety Playhouse in Little 5 Points on Monday, June 30 at 8 pm.  This show is sponsored by Jai Shanti Yoga, the yoga studio where I’ve been a student for the past few years.

For those who are not familiar with kirtan, it is a form of “call and response” devotional chanting that originated in India. It is spiritually uplifting and also a lot of fun! The added bonus for us Reiki practitioners is that the music is of a high vibrational quality, spiritually speaking, so you can often experience some wonderful things during a kirtan concert.

Krishna Das is one of the American pioneers of the art, and learned it while spending several years in India in the late ’60s/early ’70s. He infuses other world beat and even Blues rhythms into his kirtans, and his presence is very warm and down-to-earth. I saw him in San Francisco last November and it was a great show. He is an absolutely lovely person.  I asked him to come to Atlanta…and here he is!

Tickets are $25 in advance/$30 at the door and can be ordered online. 

Hope to see you there!

I’m holding an open house at Candler Park Chiropractic on Friday, July 25 to promote Dragonfly Reiki.  I’ll be on hand to explain what Reiki is and its many benefits for healing and wellness.  For those who are interested, I can provide free 5-10 mini Reiki treatments so they can experience energy healing firsthand. 

Dr. Lynn and I are also hoping to include several other holistic practitioners since we would like to broaden the exposure her chiropractic clients have to treatment methods such as Rolfing and reflexology. 

I’ll provide more details as we get closer to the event.  Please mark your calendars!