Saturday, January 30, 2010

Purple Reiki


When we first do Reiki, we may not distinguish between separate bands of energy. After all - one of our difficulties in talking about Reiki is that we tend to use language developed to describe the "conventional" senses, and Reiki light is perceived - but not exactly "seen" or heard."

We definitely do "feel" Reiki - and one constant seems to be our hands getting pretty warm sometimes (and even when doing distant or "no touch" Reiki). And many of us do use "visual" words for "seeing" Auras - though - I often believe our perception is not "exactly" visual spectrum light.

Some of us separate bands of Reiki. My teacher, Rick Rivard, who was one of the organizers of URRI (Usui Reiki Ryoho International) - those who want to find Rick simply Google Threshold Reiki and you will be treated to an incredible source of information) - describes different bands of Reiki, which he received from different teachers - or which represent different lineages.

In any case - prior to this fall - I had "perceived" many types of Reiki light, but rarely the color Purple! Purple entered my life when Dr Gary Applebaum, one of the most respected geriatricians in the country, became Executive director of my Hospice, Seasons Hospice of Maryland.

It is a long story, but, elements of Dr A's life had drawn him to identify with the color purple. Season's national colors were Purple, and (in addition to buying me a Purple tie), he determined to bring a "Purple Wave" into Seasons.

We already had a Reiki share, and a Reiki policy, and had been doing Reiki for many patients who wished to receive it - but this was different. Health care in America is going through hard times - for all the mythic talk about our being "the best health care system in the world," it is broken, WHO statistics are not so promising, and doctors, nurses, social workers, home health aids, chaplains, music therapists are all under a great deal of pressure in our system. And the recession has been hard on everyone. And Hospice, though sometimes very rewarding, can cause "burn out." We try to focus on helping patients live the later days of their lives, and not just on dying - but - the suffering we see can drain us - Hospice workers go through burn out.

But in my Hospice over the past few months something really wonderful has been happening. Dr A (he promises to some day attend our Reiki share, but I know he has Master level skills already) - keeps talking about the Purple Light and the Purple Waves and the Ripples that we can send out into the world. How - if we impact one person, it impacts families and their friends and spreads out into the community. We do not know how far these ripples can spread.

More and more Team members have been caught up in this spirit. People are thinking less about how they feel right at that moment, and how they can fit in helping one (or two) more people before the end of their day - and how they can sign off and communicate what needs to be known and followed up. Family members who are themselves suffering, are thanking Team members for what they are doing.

I met an RN last evening who had heard about our Team, and when we had no openings, joined at a lower level to work with us, until an RN job opened up. She said the Spirit of the Team made it worth it. People have been enjoying coming to work. And in pulling together, there seems to be less burn out - no one is quite as focused on the problems in their own daily lives. Another Nurse told me she felt a great sense of "support" working on own unit.

More people have been asking me about our Reiki Share and signing up to attend. And more and more I am seeing a bit of Purple attached to the Aura of many of our Team members :))

I do not know what lineage this specific Reiki energy comes from, but right now, today, I feel glad to be bathed in Purple. I don't claim it to be a higher vibrational level, and I think it can be shared with anyone who comes in contact with it - it seems pretty simple - but I do believe it is consistent with the basic Principles of Mikao Usui:

I will not worry just for Today
I will not be angry just for Today
I will be grateful just for Today
I will do a good day's work Today
I will spread kindness Today

Thanks to my friend Dr A for sending a Purple Reiki light through the Seasons Team in Maryland. Wherever you are - if you feel the Ripples - let me know. Reiki is a gift to heal, and this band of Reiki seems to help.

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