ReikiDay

Living energy outside
(Transcript of an audio blog linked above. Click on “Living energy outside” above to hear it.)

Today I’m going to talk to you about why being outside is different than being inside with respect to something like exercise, and energy — the living energy — this life energy that we talk about with respect to being positive, and moving forward in our lives, and in particular in healing, and the disciplines like Reiki.

First of all, I’d like to remind anyone listening that we are meant to move. We have very sedentary lives in the United States, and so much of what we do here in the United States is static, unmoving, dead energy.

If you think about the way that people used to work versus the way they work now. they used to work outside in agriculture or doing something that required movement. Now, most of what we are trained to do from a very young age, including when we are in school, is to stay in one place. That is not good for the body, and it is not good for the living energy — the living energy that we all need.

Secondly, I want to (pause to) talk about our food for a minute. Most of our food now sits on shelves for a long time before it is consumed. The only food that does not (sit on shelves) is, if you take a look at a grocery store, usually it is the food that is around the perimeter of the store. The stuff that goes bad, the stuff that expires, is actually the stuff that has the most living energy. If you think about it in terms of:

1) How quickly did it have to get there?
2) How quickly will it be utilized?

It is the foods at the perimeter, not the center of the store, that are the most energy-infused in terms of where they have been an how much energy they can give you.

So, now I want to talk about why being outside is so fundamentally different from being inside, especially with respect to exercise. Being inside, you’re not really going anywhere! You are not feeling the pull of the Earth on your body.

Your body is uniquely constructed to be moving through the world. That is why it is capable of moving at all! So if you are in a gym, you are not fundamentally in relationship to the Earth. And that is why your body is constructed the way it is: It is supposed to be relating to the Earth.

I feel very strongly that people will not only enjoy walking or running outside more — because there is more to look at, it is more interesting, they are more connected to their communities, etc. — but that the body becomes healthier when being outside — which is what it was designed to do — is what is being done, either for health maintenance (the reason most people exercise is to lose weight, or build strength, or build their energy level) or more significantly, for the spiritual part of it, which is a sense of renewal.

How can you renew if you are taking your body, which is meant to be in relationship to the hills and valleys of this Earth, and you are moving it inside, where it is stored in a solitary place, and you do not receive the stimulation that your body is craving so much?

No, I would propose that it would be much more advantageous to anyone who wants to do right by their body to take it where it is supposed to be.

Thank you for listening! Have a great day!

Change is immediate. Click on the link to hear the audio about why. Have a great day and enjoy my first audio post!

Something I just saw struck me as odd. A friend of mine posted on Facebook that she ran 2 miles, something she never did before, and one of her friends immediately commented that she shouldn’t be doing that but should instead be running for speed.

Hogwash.

Like me, she is a new athlete. All she needs to do is keep moving. She will challenge herself with things like speed later, just like I plan to do (and REFUSE to do right now).

The key is that she is moving and that she is enjoying her achievement and her sense of her own physical power. That is tremendous! It also represents a higher level of spiritual wisdom to engage her body energies! It is joyful, empowering, and liberating!

Here are the side effects that come now:
Self-esteem, a higher fitness level, joy, body awareness, and a higher energy level.

Weight loss comes later.
Vanity comes later (or maybe not at all).

I am so proud of my friend for doing what she did and hope she continues to set her own goals, enjoy her own journey, and reject the notion that anyone else can tell her what she should be doing. Only she knows that.

This is a physical and spiritual energy journey, for its own sake.

For many people, there is a formal religious understanding of Jesus of Nazareth not only as a prophet, but as Lord and Savior. Usually these people identify themselves in some way as Christians. Those who possess this spiritual understanding can be powerful forces for good in the world.

For others, including this writer, Jesus was and continues to be a great teacher of humankind. He represents not only some of the best spiritual qualities of people, but more to the point of Reiki, an incredibly powerful point of view on the role of healing in daily life.

One of the most quoted pieces of Scripture quoted to support the divinity of Jesus is this:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

Fascinating because it does not say “For God so loved human beings.” It says “the WORLD” (my emphasis).

What if in this case of oft-quoted Scripture, for secular people, the Son represents not only Jesus, but humankind itself? Men and women are created in God’s image, as written in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

That leaves the question: Why would God, who so loved the world, create human beings?

Obvious answer to a Reiki person: To heal and protect the world.

Newsflash for the uninitiated: Reiki people see themselves, every day, as carrying the healing presence of the Universal (Rei) Life Energy (Ki) with them all the time. All they have to do is center themselves, surrender to the energy, “do by not doing” and stop trying, and let the healing love/life energy flow to everyone and everything around them, going where it wishes, directing itself, and helping the world.

Most Reiki people equate this with a sign of grace, of some kind, existing in the universe. Many equate it with a gift from God, and Christian Reiki practitioners believe Jesus foretold it:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” — John 14:12

But as a more secular student of religion, I always interpreted “faith in me” not as a requirement to believe in his divinity, but to believe in his teachings about lovingkindness.

So there you have it. Whether you are Christian or not, Jesus offers a lot to teach about channeling the healing presence in our lives. His example is a good one for the healer, religious or secular.

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More thoughts on the intersection of spirituality/religion/healing can be found in the book Reiki Psychology which is in print and available on all e-readers as well.

Reiki Psychology continues to receive glowing reviews!

Patti M wrote:
“[Reiki Psychology] is a book to treasure. A book that is written in refreshing, easy to understand style — yet with strong content for day to day living. The comforting, healing capacity of this book drew me to it. First I read it in sections where ever the page opened, and then cover to cover. It is good for those few quick daily moments to regroup during a hectic day. It is good for a longer, satisfying read to learn about Reiki (which is fascinating as a healing tool). I tried to carry this book with me (fits in a handbag), but my husband found it and hasn’t given it back. It was good reading for a man too! He took it to work with him to deal with stress during his busy day. We both love it and I will buy a second copy to have for myself! Thank you for writing this book Dr. Shipon, it is a keeper!”

Kathryn G. wrote:
“I was the fortunate recipient of the book: Reiki Psychology, by Dr. Shipon and was eager to read it as I have had only limited prior experience with Reiki. As a psychotherapist, I have been intrigued by the idea that Reiki could be used in the therapeutic world. This simple, lovely and well written book explains how that can happen. When reading Reiki Psychology, one gets the feeling that this is a conversation between the author (a Reiki Master and Clinical Psychologist) and the reader. Dr. Shipon is obviously a gifted teacher; as I turned the pages, I found that I was learning about an important concept of the art of Reiki; the writing was neither overly complicated nor simplistic.”

“In this day of constant striving for materialist collections for the improvement of yet another phase of our lives, it is so refreshing to have Dr. Shipon tell us that no one needs to “buy” Reiki; no one person can own Reiki, and we can all own it, through learning and understanding about our own healing potentials. I have given copies of this book to colleagues and patients alike, and I have had similar responses from all: a door is opened; curiosity about Reiki, insight about how Reiki can be used professionally and personally, and gratitude to Dr. Shipon for his work. I would love to see more of Dr. Shipon’s writing, and await news that another book is on the shelf.”

Sharon L. wrote:
“I have had an interest in Reiki healing for many years but never truly had a grasp on it until I read Reiki Psychology by Dr. Randolph Shipon. This book is like “Reiki for Dummies” as it enables you to utilize Reiki to whatever degree you’d like through following simple steps. I now have a deep spiritual understanding of the philosophy and can use Reiki energy to strengthen my relationships and to feel at peace. I can see the benefit of using Reiki healing energy in all realms of life enabling you, and those around you, to be more relaxed and better equipped to cope.

“I bought copies for friends and family and whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants help in finding their way. This is an excellent handbook on how to navigate life’s journey.”

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed the book!