Well hey Ho we are seemingly on the way to some kind of normality, for how long I wonder! It has been a tough couple of years for us all, but on reflection I think it is not all doom and gloom, yes lives have been lost which is very sad and tragic. But we have learnt some lessons haven’t we? The planet is very vulnerable and more and more of us are realising that action needs to be taken now, not next year, or in years to come but NOW.
In the last couple of lockdowns, I had to re-think how I teach Reiki, Reiki Sharing and Meditation Workshops included. I did not intend to set up zoom gloom (that rhymes!!), in fact the very thought set my heart racing. But how was I to continue with a Reiki System I love? One day I had a link from my teacher Frans Steine, there was going to be a Zoom meeting, which involved people from America and other countries. How was I to do this? Well as it turned out I didn’t have to do anything other than click the link, the meeting was amazing. It was so lovely to see and speak to Fans and the others and also to feel the love and compassion.
Well… my whole thought process changed! I had to understand that it was not all Zoom Gloom, it was a different way that’s all, not everything we change has to have the ‘Gloom’ factor. I decided my tech-phobic mind had to catch up, and off I went to research what was needed to set this up.The biggest muddle ensued! I couldn’t make sense of it, I kept asking it questions and of course received no reply. It was very frustrating, even though I had asked other people questions, and then the lovely Gwen took me in hand (metaphorically!) and told me what to do and how to do it.
The first meeting was disastrous, no-one could get in, Gwen then told me that I had set up multiple meetings for that day and everyone had different links! Oh my! We spoke many times after that and eventually the Reiki meeting was set up.
I now realise that actually Zoom is a great way to link up with students who could not travel a distance, I have met up with students I hadn’t seen for a very long time, they were also pleased as at last they could be part of the Reiki Community again.
I have taught Shoden via Zoom and even had two students from the Lebanon, it was as if they were in my room, the connection was very strong.
So we must embrace change and not be afraid to go forward, Impermanence is in our DNA, we must not think of what ‘we used to do’ but think of what ‘we are doing’ in this moment. It’s very easy to look back and say to ourselves it was better then, but was it?
Let go and observe without judgement is a good start.
I agree. I too felt the Zoom Gloom! And I couldn’t see how we could learn Reiki, or practice Reiki, via Zoom. But I have found that joining your Reiki groups via Zoom has really shown me that we are all connected, in that I felt the energy from the Reiju shared via Zoom as strongly as when we were in the same room. And I really didn’t think I would!
There are lots of changes that we have to grapple with and learn to accept in life, and this is one of them, for us technically-challenged folk now. But it’s good. And from this we see that we don’t need to travel as much, we don’t always need to drive to places to meet up, and for courses. We can save petrol and save our cars polluting the environment as much as before.
Ah those early days. Don’t forget the amazing Queen Bohemian Rhapsody-esque echoes and the picture doing strange top of the pops type diminishes. It was funny! Not only connection but much needed laughter.
Learning that when someone is on mute shouting “YOU’RE ON MUTE” doesn’t affect their microphone. Then the awe factor of connecting and sharing in the most unlikely way. Face to Face almost seems anachronistic now, a technology that Usui could never have imagined proving beyond doubt that distance is no object. It’s not even state elicitation, because it works for those who have never experienced physical reiki.
I have not suffered unduly with the pandemic and it’s restrictions but that doesn’t lessen my joy at this new way of experiencing connection.
Love and Light.